LaborSpeak: Two Minutes On Recent Developments Involving Restrictive Covenants (Video)

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and IRS recently issued temporary regulations that provide an immediately effective framework for establishing and administering “Trump Accounts,” including broad automatic enrollment and large-scale contributions funded by governmental and charitable donors. The regulations became effective September 30, 2026, apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and expire September 30, 2029.

The IRS has released Revenue Procedure 2026-24, establishing new inflation-adjusted limits for Health Savings Accounts and high-deductible health plans effective in 2027. These updates include increased contribution limits, higher minimum deductibles, and expanded out-of-pocket maximums, along with new provisions for direct primary care service arrangements under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act. How will these changes impact employee benefit planning and healthcare coverage strategies?

On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Allegheny County Council passed legislation requiring employers with at least 15 workers to provide 12 weeks of paid parental leave, ending months-long debate on the proposal. We previously reported on the initial 18-week proposal in May 2026 (summarized here), the revised proposed legislation (summarized here), and the Allegheny County Board of Health passing the legislation (summarized here). The measure was passed in an 11-4 vote. It will become effective in one year, as County Executive Sara Innamorato signed the bill on, October 22, 2026.

The Trump Administration has launched an unprecedented enforcement action suspending permanent labor certification processing for eight major employers, linking immigration sponsorship to layoff histories and recruitment practices. This development signals a fundamental shift in how the government evaluates employer access to H-1B and green card programs, with investigations already underway and subpoenas served.

Donald Dowling says abusive labor practices are a huge problem around the world, and often the smaller local manufacturers, miners and growers within countries that are committing labor...

Illinois employers face new requirements for Equal Pay Registration Certificate submissions as the state Department of Labor eliminates the "prefers not to identify" option for employee demographic data. Starting January 1, 2027, businesses must report definitive sex and race information for all employees, raising questions about data collection methods and compliance strategies.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a final rule that will shift the H-1B cap registration selection process from a random lottery to a weighted selection process...

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.

In the intricate landscape of employment law, wrongful termination poses a significant challenge for employees who find themselves at the unfortunate intersection of job loss and potential injustice.

As artificial intelligence races forward, California employment law sprints alongside. Two new employment-related AI bills have been signed into law imposing new requirements...

On Friday, July 9, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order (EO) 14036, "Promoting Competition in the American Economy".

On July 22, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopted a Third Report and Order and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (covered separately here) in which the Commission advances its ongoing efforts to secure the U.S.

President Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, introducing unprecedented tariff authority that could impose duties up to 100% on goods from countries purchasing Russian energy or facilitating sanctions evasion. The legislation creates a novel framework where tariffs stack on top of existing duties while codifying Russia sanctions into statute...

On September 16, 2026, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum titled “Restoring Reciprocity in Government Procurement”, directing the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the United States Trade Representative, in coordination with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, to identify and take legally permitted steps to remove or restrict Canadian-origin items across the federal civil procurement system.

California's Legislature has unanimously passed SB 690, a landmark reform that could eliminate thousands of pending class action lawsuits based on website tracking technologies under the California Invasion of Privacy Act. The bill removes the private right of action for pen register claims arising from routine web analytics tools, potentially reshaping the data privacy litigation landscape while companion bills simultaneously expand substantive privacy obligations.

The European Union’s (EU) revamped sustainability reporting framework is now final. On September 21, 2026, the revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and a new Voluntary European Sustainability Reporting Standard (VS) were published in the Official Journal, marking yet another significant step toward more proportionate sustainability reporting in Europe. In addition to previously raising applicable financial thresholds triggering compliance under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the revised ESRS cut mandatory datapoints for in-scope companies (i.e., undertakings under CSRD) by more than 60% and total datapoints by more than 70%.

On September 30, 2026, Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee Chair Mike Lee (R-UT), and Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) unveiled the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA; S. 5653), a comprehensive permitting reform package aimed at accelerating approvals for energy, infrastructure, transmission, mining, manufacturing, and other major projects. The legislation represents the most significant bipartisan permitting reform effort in years and follows months of negotiations between Senate Republicans and Democrats.

As prevention obligations expand across the UK, California, New York State, and New York City, employers face heightened duties to prevent workplace sexual harassment before it occurs. With the UK's new "all reasonable steps" standard taking effect in October 2026 and US jurisdictions lowering liability thresholds, how can multinational employers navigate these evolving transatlantic requirements?

The SEC's Division of Examinations has identified six critical areas where investment advisers commonly fall short in their annual compliance reviews, from timing failures to inadequate documentation and unimplemented corrective actions. Understanding these deficiencies is essential for advisers seeking to strengthen their compliance infrastructure and avoid examination risks.

On August 25, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ or the Department) announced a $21.5 million settlement with Deloitte LLP and four affiliated entities (collectively, Deloitte), marking the second False Claims Act (FCA) settlement under the Department’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative launched in May 2025.