Overview:
Employment law in 2026 requires a wider lens than in previous years.
Wage rules are shifting. Accommodation standards are expanding. Arbitration agreements are being re-examined. Workers have more leave rights, more protections, and far more required postings than before. And states are implementing new restrictions on agreements such as pay-or-stay, non-competes, and worker repayment contracts.
This session breaks down the most important federal and state developments shaping the workplace in 2026, with clear guidelines on what employers must update now.
Areas Covered in the Session:
- Introduction
- The major employment-law themes driving 2026
- Why this year requires a proactive compliance refresh
- Federal Employment Law Updates
- New overtime salary thresholds (exempt + HCE).
- Triennial automatic threshold updates-what they mean
- Federal guidance affecting disability & religious accommodations
- Federal leave-law developments and benefit-continuation rules
- Protected Leaves of Absence & Benefits
- Interaction of federal/state leave rights
- Benefit-continuation requirements during protected leave
- Practical issues: intermittent leave, hybrid work, return-to-work documentation
- Disability & Religious Accommodations
- Expanded interpretations under ADA and Title VII
- Accommodating mental-health, neurodiversity, and religious-practice requests
- When remote work becomes a reasonable accommodation
- Managing undue-hardship assessments properly
- Minimum Wage Increases & Compensation Rules
- State and local minimum-wage hikes across the country
- Pay-transparency requirements in job postings and promotions
- Wage-hour compliance for hybrid/remote employees
- Arbitration Agreements & Contract Developments
- The current legal limits on mandatory arbitration
- State laws restricting "pay-or-stay" agreements and repayment contracts
- Updates on enforceability of confidentiality and severance provisions
- Worker Protections & Required Notices
- Newly required workplace postings for 2026
- Worker-education mandates (e.g., anti-harassment, leave rights, safety)
- Enhanced whistleblower protections
- Steps to Compliance for 2026
- How to update policies, handbooks, and contracts
- Ensuring your HRIS, ATS, and payroll systems reflect new wage/leave rules
- Manager training essentials for 2026
- Documentation best practices
- Conclusion
- Summary of required employer actions
- How to prioritize updates in Q1
- Final recommendations for a proactive compliance posture
Learning Objectives
By the end of this program, participants will be able to:
- Identify the most important federal and state employment-law changes for 2026
- Implement updated policies, handbooks, notices, and agreements required for compliance
- Strengthen accommodation, leave-management, and wage-hour practices to reduce risk
- Prepare managers and HR staff for the evolving compliance landscape
Who Will Benefit:
- HR Professionals
- Compliance Officers
- Business Owners & Executives
- Operations Managers
- Legal & Employee Relations Leaders