Labor & Employment Law Update

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By: Amundsen Davis

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Heather A. Bailey
Craig A. Kubiak
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Milt Castro
Stephen D. Pauwels
Peter E. Hansen
Laurie E. Meyer
Michael F. Hughes
Matthew G. Gorski
Kelly Haab-Tallitsch
Matthew Horn
Laurie I. Smigielski
Michael J. Bendel
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Robert J. Simandl
Joey K. Wright
Kevin Kleine
Diandra L. Abate
Ryan L. Young
Jacqueline Lentini McCullough
Laura M. Leahy
Margaret Miles Valenti
Madison Monroe
John Ochoa
Suzannah Wilson Overholt
Beverly P. Alfon
Terence P. Smith
Vic Peterson
Marissa R. Borschke
Christopher R. Green
John R. Hayes
Madison Renard
Elizabeth S. Cortez
Blake Stark
Craig T. Papka
Timm W. Schowalter
Sara Zorich

Latest from Labor & Employment Law Update

Missouri Employers Face New Military Leave and Reemployment Obligations Under House Bill 2593

MissouriMissouri employers will soon face expanded military leave and reemployment obligations following Governor Mike Kehoe’s signing of House Bill 2593 on July 9, 2026. The new law goes into effect beginning August 28, 2026, potentially opening up new litigation exposure for noncompliance.Missouri Extends USERRA Reemployment Protections to National Guard MembersThe new protections align Missouri law with federal leave protections. Specifically, the law explicitly grants the same

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Continue Reading Missouri Employers Face New Military Leave and Reemployment Obligations
Under House Bill 2593

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A major Supreme Court decision could reshape how federal workplace agencies operate and how quickly their priorities can change from one administration to the next.

On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court overruled a 91-year-old precedent and held that the president may remove the heads of independent federal agencies at will.

Although Trump v. Slaughter focuses on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), its impact could extend to the agencies employers face every day, including the National Labor Relations

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Continue Reading What the Supreme Court’s Trump v. Slaughter Decision Means for the NLRB,the EEOC, and Employers

Illinois Expands Project Labor Agreement Requirements for Renewable Energy Projects

Illinois’s renewable energy landscape shifted significantly back on January 8, 2026, when Governor Pritzker signed the Illinois Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA). Among its many provisions, one significant change stands out for developers, EPCs, investors, and contractors who perform the underlying construction of green energy projects: a major expansion of project labor agreement (PLA) requirements.

While PLAs have long been required for many utility-scale solar and wind

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Continue Reading Illinois Expands Project Labor Agreement Requirements for Renewable EnergyProjects

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) formally rescinded the federal guidance employers have relied on for nearly 50 years when designing voluntary affirmative action plans under Title VII. In a June 29, 2026 vote, the EEOC voted to rescind the two documents that provide a long-standing roadmap for employers. This move follows the EEOC’s recent National Enforcement Plan (NEP), which signaled that the agency would treat race- and sex-conscious workplace programs as intentional discrimination.

For employers, the practical impact

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Continue Reading EEOC Rescinds Affirmative Action Guidance: What Employers Need to KnowAbout Title VII, DEI Programs, and Compliance Risks

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Hiring your first out-of-state employee can introduce a complex web of local and state employment laws that may differ dramatically from those you already follow. From paid leave requirements and pay transparency laws to non-compete restrictions and city-specific ordinances, multi-state employment compliance can quickly become a challenge for unprepared employers.
Hiring an Out-of-State Employee Requires Extra Caution
Stop. Look. Listen.

I remember seeing these safety signs at railroad crossings when I was growing up. Stopping, looking and listening was…
Continue Reading Hiring Your First Out-Of-State Employee? Watch for These Compliance Risks

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would place strict deadlines for employers and newly certified unions to reach a first collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

The bill, which garnered some bi-partisan support to pass the GOP-led House, would potentially place the terms of such initial collective bargaining agreements in the hands of federal arbitrators, instead of being negotiated to conclusion by the parties.
Current Legal Framework for Initial Union Contracts
Once a union gains recognition as the

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Continue Reading U.S. House Passes Bill to Fast-Track Initial Union Contracts

Employers with operations in Chicago and Cook County should prepare for local minimum wage increases effective July 1, 2026, along with related notice, posting, and compliance obligations. While the Illinois statewide minimum wage remains unchanged, Chicago and Cook County will implement higher local rates that apply based on employer size and location.

Chicago and Cook County Minimum Wage Increases
The city of Chicago is increasing its set minimum wage on July 1, 2026, for employers with four or more

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Continue Reading Chicago and Cook County Minimum Wage Increases Take Effect July 1: EmployerCompliance Updates

A new legal opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is reshaping how employment discrimination claims based on unequal outcomes may be handled. On June 9, 2026, the U.S. DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a formal legal opinion concluding that the EEOC’s approach to disparate-impact liability is unconstitutional. While this theory of discrimination still exists, the opinion narrows it and raises the bar for employees who bring these claims. As a result, employers may have increased…
Continue Reading New DOJ Opinion Changes Hiring Discrimination Rules for U.S. Employers

On June 4, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a new National Enforcement Plan (NEP), effective immediately, replacing the Biden-era Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP). The NEP realigns federal enforcement around the current administration’s priorities and signals a significant shift in how workplace discrimination claims will be investigated and litigated. For employers, the change reshapes where federal risk will change and diverge from state law obligations.EEOC Deprioritizes Disparate Impact
EEOCWhere the SEP prioritized adverse/disproportionate impact, the NEP (using…
Continue Reading New EEOC Enforcement Plan Immediately Reshapes Employer Compliance Risks

Significant changes to federal contracting rules are reshaping how businesses interact with the U.S. government, particularly when it comes to compliance, workforce policies, and pricing strategies.

These changes stem largely from Executive Order 14173 (EO 14173), signed in January 2025, which revokes long‑standing affirmative action requirements and introduces new certification obligations for contractors.

For companies that rely on federal funding or work on federally supported projects, understanding the new expectations is critical to staying compliant and minimizing risk.

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Continue Reading New Rules for Government Contractors: Compliance Changes for the Construction Industry

Employers operating in Columbus, Ohio, have approximately six months left to prepare for a significant change in hiring practices.

Effective January 1, 2027, the City of Columbus will begin enforcing its pay transparency requirements under Ordinance 2898-2025, which will require covered employers to include a “reasonable salary range or scale” in employment postings.

While some employers may view this as a simple change to job advertisements, the reality is that pay transparency laws often expose broader compensation, equity, and…
Continue Reading The Countdown to Columbus Pay Transparency: What Employers Should Be Doing Now

Employers that rely on transportation workers, delivery drivers, and gig drivers may face significantly increased litigation risk following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. In Flowers Foods v. Brock, the Court ruled that “last mile” local delivery drivers qualify for the Federal Arbitration Act’s exemption for “transportation workers engaged in interstate commerce,” even if the drivers do not cross state lines. As a result, some transportation workers and gig drivers now have the green light to pursue their disputes…
Continue Reading ‘Last Mile’ Drivers Are NOT Covered by Mandatory Arbitration Agreements

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Although they may not realize it, even non-union employers face risk under the National Labor Relations Act. Everyday workplace decisions can trigger scrutiny and while the enforcement climate is shifting, the underlying risk remains. For employers, this is no longer a niche legal issue. It’s a legitimate business risk.

Business owners used to lose sleep over ordinary problems: rising costs, staffing shortages, difficult customers, and whether anyone in the office can operate the printer without filing a support ticket.
Continue Reading Inside the NLRB: What Non-Union Employers Need to Know About NLRA Risk in 2026

FMLA family medical leave act symbol. Concept words FMLA family medical leave act on wooden blocks on beautiful wooden background. Medical FMLA family medical leave act concept.
FMLA family medical leave act symbol. Concept words FMLA family medical leave act on wooden blocks on beautiful wooden background. Medical FMLA family medical leave act concept.

When a key employee takes FMLA leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), staying in touch may feel necessary to keep business operations running. But what many employers underestimate is that liability under the FMLA extends well beyond denying leave for an unlawful reason. It can arise from everyday decisions about communication, workload, and expectations during that leave.

Courts across the country continue to see a steady stream of litigation from employees who claim their employers

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Continue Reading OOTO but Not Out of the Woods: Legal Risks for Employers During and After FMLA Leave

If your business has more than 16 employees in Illinois, a new law—the Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act—requires you to provide additional job-protected leave for parents with a newborn or newly adopted child in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The Illinois Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act (NICLA) takes effect June 1, 2026. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is NICLA?
NICLA is a new Illinois law that gives employees the right to take unpaid, job-protected leave…
Continue Reading Understanding the New Illinois Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act (NICLA)

Register Now for Breakfast Brieifing: Workplace Whodunit – Internal Investigations That Hold Up in Court

Workplace complaints can arise at any time—and how employers respond can significantly impact legal risk, employee trust, and organizational culture. Even well-intentioned actions can create exposure if investigations are not handled properly from the start.

Join labor & employment senior counsel, Joey Wright, and partner, Peter Hansen, for an interactive Breakfast Briefing that walks through a real-world investigation scenario from start to finish. Using

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Continue Reading Internal Investigations That Hold Up in Court