Employment Law and Labour Law

Those of us who have been following the Lion Elastomers saga know it has been a long road. We previously covered the Board’s 2023 decision in Lion Elastomers II, and when the Fifth Circuit vacated that decision in 2024...

Maryland employers must comply with new posting requirements under the Worker Freedom Act, which prohibits penalizing employees who decline attendance at employer-sponsored meetings on religious or political matters. The Maryland Department of Labor has released official notices in English and Spanish that must be displayed prominently in workplaces and provided to new hires starting November 1, 2026.

California's new Senate Bill 1316 creates a potentially case-dispositive evidentiary consequence for public works contractors beginning January 2027: failure to timely produce payroll, time, and employment records in response to labor commissioner requests may bar contractors from using those records to defend against civil wage and penalty assessments. The statute effectively transforms the investigation stage into a critical phase of hearing preparation, where a contractor's initial response to records re

A reduction in force may be driven by legitimate business needs, but an unclear selection process or inconsistent internal communications can turn a defensible decision into a jury question.

California's new Senate Bill 951 amends the Cal-WARN Act to require employers to disclose when mass layoffs or relocations are substantially caused by artificial intelligence or automated technology. What specific information must employers now include in their notices, and how will these technology-driven workforce reductions be tracked and reported by state agencies?

California has enacted sweeping new legislation regulating artificial intelligence in employment decisions, from prohibiting fully automated terminations to restricting AI-powered workplace surveillance. These laws establish unprecedented requirements for human oversight, employee notification, and transparency when employers deploy automated decision systems. What do these regulations mean for companies using AI tools to manage their workforce, and how should employers prepare for compliance?

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) on September 16, 2026 released an Artificial Intelligence Supervisory Framework designed to help state financial examiners identify and understand how the bank and non-bank institutions they regulate are using artificial intelligence, assess the associated risks, and determine when a more in-depth review may be appropriate.

The traditional reception model assumed someone was physically present at a front desk. That structure is less practical for solo, virtual, hybrid, and small practices, where one person often wears every hat. Smaller firms are separating reception work from physical office presence, driven by operational necessity rather than enthusiasm for remote work itself.

A mid-sized manufacturing company facing financial turmoil after a private equity acquisition found itself struggling with employee turnover, delayed accounting, and unreliable financial reporting. When traditional support failed to deliver the hands-on assistance needed, a specialized advisory team stepped in to restore financial clarity and guide the business from crisis to profitability.

Those of us who have been following the Lion Elastomers saga know it has been a long road. We previously covered the Board’s 2023 decision in Lion Elastomers II, and when the Fifth Circuit vacated that decision in 2024...

A federal court rejected a challenge to Executive Order (EO) 14398, “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors.” The court concluded the EO’s prohibition targets only unlawful intentional discrimination and applies to work performed under a specific contract containing the required clause.

California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (the “FEHA”) proscribes various forms of employment discrimination, including discrimination based on religious beliefs. Among other things, the FEHA requires employers to provide a reasonable accommodation when an employee’s religious belief conflicts with their job requirements. On October 7, 2026, in Smith v. Burbank Unified School District, a three-judge panel of the California Court of Appeal held that an unpaid leave of absence can be a reasonable accommodation for employees whose religious beliefs prevent them from complying with a mandatory vaccination requirement.