On January 15, 2026, OSHA issued a final order extending the compliance dates in its Hazard Communication (HazCom) Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200(j)(2)(i)-(3)(ii)) by four months.

A newly filed proposed class action in the Northern District of California could serve as an early test case on how child labor and wage laws apply to digital platforms.

The state of Illinois enacted an amendment to its Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) in 2024 that limited liability for companies.

In this series, we will explore some of the ways states vary from one another in their employment laws.

Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia impose restrictions on private employers' use of polygraph tests, but these limitations vary significantly in scope and application. From Massachusetts's broad definition of "lie detectors" that may encompass AI interview analysis to Virginia's narrow prohibition on questions about sexual activities, employers face a complex patchwork of regulations.

While federal OSHA lacks specific heat illness prevention requirements, several states are implementing comprehensive workplace heat safety laws. California, Maryland, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, and Washington have established regulations requiring employers to provide water, shade, rest breaks, and heat illness prevention plans when temperatures reach certain thresholds, with more states expected to follow suit.

You have an employee who did not show up to work today and did not call in to report their absence. You hear other workers whispering about why the employee is missing.

In this series, we will explore some of the ways states vary from one another in their employment laws.

When it comes to employment relationships, employers usually hold all the power over employees. Employers determine whether employees should be disciplined and decide how employees' performance should be rated, largely without employee feedback.

I have written before about state non-compete laws, and Bill Nolan and I hosted a webinar in September 2025 highlighting some of the differences in state restrictive covenant statutes...

Starbucks Workers United (SWU) — the union representing many baristas nationwide since the chain has faced one of the biggest organizing drives in recent memory — announced it is planning a large-scale strike just in time for the holidays.

In a landmark regulatory decision, NiSource, one of the largest fully regulated utility companies in the U.S. with a market capitalization of approximately $20 billion...

With Department of Justice False Claims Act settlements reaching a record $6.8 billion in fiscal year 2025, pharmaceutical companies face unprecedented scrutiny over prescription drug claims and compliance programs. Barnes & Thornburg partners analyze the enforcement landscape and outline strategies for mitigating government investigation risks in an era where proactive compliance has become essential to organizational survival.

A federal court has vacated USCIS policies that froze immigration benefit adjudications for nationals of 39 countries under an expanded travel ban, but the State Department's separate pause on immigrant visa issuance for 75 countries remains in effect. Employers must now distinguish between domestic USCIS benefits that can proceed and consular processing that remains suspended when planning for affected workers.

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Blanche v. Lau fundamentally changes how lawful permanent residents with criminal histories are treated at the border. What does this mean for green card holders returning from international travel, and how should employers protect their workforce from unexpected immigration consequences?

The Supreme Court's decision in Mullin v. Doe has fundamentally reshaped the landscape for Temporary Protected Status holders from Haiti, Syria, and potentially other countries, granting the Department of Homeland Security broad authority to terminate TPS designations with limited judicial oversight. In the wake of this ruling, approximately 350,000 affected individuals and their employers face a rapidly evolving compliance environment marked by shifting employment authorization document expiration dates an

USCIS issued a controversial policy memo in May 2026 reframing adjustment of status as "extraordinary" relief, sparking alarm across immigration communities before the agency quickly walked back its messaging. While the memo directed officers to weigh negative factors more heavily and favor consular processing, DHS clarified it was merely a reminder of existing discretionary authority, with practitioners reporting minimal impact on adjudication outcomes over a month later.

The New Jersey Supreme Court has issued a landmark ruling that insurance brokers can be held liable under the state's Consumer Fraud Act for deceptive practices, including failing to procure adequate coverage or misleading clients about policy scope. This decision opens the door for policyholders to pursue treble damages and attorneys' fees against brokers who engage in misleading conduct, while simultaneously placing new compliance burdens on insurance professionals.

Inter partes review (IPR) proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) are widely regarded as challenger-friendly, in significant part because of the burden of proof applied to patent validity.

The U.S. Department of Commerce initiated new Section 232 investigations to assess the national security implications of imports of polysilicon and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) on July 1, 2025.