United States: Contract of Employment

The NLRB's General Counsel has issued a memo signaling potential reversals of recent labor law precedents affecting severance agreements, workplace policies, captive audience meetings, and bargaining orders. This guidance previews the agency's shifting stance on controversial decisions from 2023-2024 that significantly impacted employer practices. Employers should monitor these developments as the Board now has the quorum needed to issue precedent-changing decisions.

There is no federal law requiring paid jury duty leave – in fact, there is no federal law protecting jury duty leave at all. While most states require employers to excuse employees for jury duty, they usually do not require employers to pay employees for this time spent out of work.

The 2026 edition of the Employee Handbook and Personnel Policies Manual by Attorney Richard J. Simmons provides comprehensive guidance for developing legally compliant employee handbooks, with particular emphasis on California and federal employment law. This extensively revised 18th edition addresses significant recent legislative changes and court decisions, explaining why policies matter and how carefully drafted provisions can help employers reduce legal risk while promoting workplace consistency. Wheth