Like Katherine Heigl’s character in the 2008 film “27 Dresses,” employers in 2026 may run into an equally-numbered—albeit less quirky—quandary this year: a potential for 27 pay periods. And just as Heigl’s character ultimately found true love, employers can use this helpful guide to find payroll love before Valentines Day.
Why 27 Pay Periods Occur. … Continue Reading
Minnesota’s Paid Leave Program (often referred to as Minnesota Paid Leave) officially took effect on January 1, 2026, creating a statewide paid family and medical leave benefit for most employees working in Minnesota. The law provides partial wage replacement and job protection for qualifying family and medical events.
Key features of the law include:
Legislation signed by outgoing Governor Phil Murphy earlier this month dramatically expands the scope and application of the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA). Under A3451/S2950, effective July 17, 2026, more employers are subject to the law, and more employees qualify for job-protected leave.
In addition, the amendments address the receipt of Temporary Disability Benefits (TDB) and Family Leave Insurance (FLI) and may provide job-protected leave for those who receive these benefits—though questions remain and further guidance is expected on this point.… Continue Reading
On January 23, 2026, the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Fact Sheet 2026-01, providing answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the new “Deduction for Qualified Overtime Compensation” created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the OBBBA).
The OBBBA created the Deduction for Qualified Overtime Compensation to allow individuals to claim a federal income tax deduction for certain qualified overtime compensation for the 2025 to 2028 tax years.… Continue Reading
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has voted to rescind Biden-era anti-harassment guidance. The rescinded guidance had consolidated and replaced multiple prior EEOC harassment guidance documents and was intended to serve as a single, unified agency resource on workplace harassment law. It was anticipated that the EEOC might limit the recission to those portions that pertained to harassment on the basis of sexual orientation and transgender status, but the Commission voted to rescind the guidance in its entirety.… Continue Reading
All employers with Washington-based employees should take steps to comply with the significant changes to Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Act that became effective on January 1, 2026. Among other things, the amendments usher in a new scheme for determining when job protection applies. In principle, this new scheme offers a much-needed mechanism for preventing employees from stacking their PFML leave on top of leave taken under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).… Continue Reading
Philadelphia has passed legislation prohibiting discrimination and requiring accommodation on the basis of needs related to menstruation, perimenopause, or menopause, becoming the first major U.S. city to explicitly offer these expansive protections. Only Rhode Island currently protects menopause, although New York is considering a similar bill.
Philadelphia amended its Fair Employment Practices Ordinance on December 19, 2025, to add these conditions as protected classes.… Continue Reading
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations require updates to the Notice of Privacy Practices that health plan sponsors furnish to plan participants and health care providers furnish to patients. The updates must be made by February 16, 2026.
The regulations require changes to the Notice of Privacy Practices for information regarding certain substance use disorder treatment information and reproductive health information.… Continue Reading
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has finalized the rule overhauling the H‑1B cap selection process, replacing the longstanding random lottery with a wage-based, weighted selection system. The final rule makes no changes to the regulatory text from the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in September 2025. The rule is scheduled to take effect February 27, 2026, positioning it to govern the upcoming H-1B cap lottery in March 2026.… Continue Reading
Following acting chair Andrea Lucas’s earlier pledge to more aggressively enforce civil rights laws against employers who disadvantage U.S. workers, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released a new Technical Assistance document cautioning companies that preferring H-1B visa holders may constitute unlawful national origin discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.… Continue Reading