Illinois has entered a pivotal year for workplace regulation. Employers face a series of new requirements, with significant and wide-ranging changes—from paid lactation breaks and NICU leave to expanded whistleblower protections, stricter contract rules, and new obligations around AI use in hiring and employment decisions. These new laws will reshape policies on employment agreements, leave
Happy New Year! Now Get to Work — Areas Where Employers Should Think About Compliance for 2026
Employers should be thinking about whether to address the following areas of workplace compliance in 2026. These items on the employer to-do list are not all for the month of January, but don’t forget to come back to them throughout the year.
4 solid steps to win your disability discrimination/reasonable accommodation case
The 6th Circuit just delivered an opinion that reinforces two lessons employers should already know: accommodations require clarity and documentation, and timecard falsification is a litigation killer.
Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp. reassigned a maintenance supervisor with nearly 30 years of service to 12-hour night shifts. He complained that the schedule was worsening his Type 2
The law is clear: protect your employees, not a problem customer
He’s a regular. Spends money. Knows the beer list. The kind of customer small breweries are told they can’t afford to lose.
But the female staff would disagree.
Over time, they start to notice things. Lingering looks. Comments that don’t quite cross the line — but get uncomfortably close. Walking employees to their cars when
Jimmy Fokas Joins Panel at Securities Enforcement Forum New York 2026
Partner Jimmy Fokas will take part in a panel titled “Financial Reporting and Accounting Fraud – a ‘Core’ Enforcement Focus” at the Securities Enforcement Forum New York 2026, Feb. 5, 2026, in New York, New York. The annual conference assembles current and former SEC officials, securities enforcement, white-collar attorneys, in-house counsel and compliance executives, among
The question isn’t whether your employees are using AI at work (they are), but whether you’re prepared for it
Employees using AI at work will be the workplace issue of 2026.
Not remote work.
Not noncompetes.
Not DEI.
Not noncompetes.
Not DEI.
AI.
Because employees are already using it — to draft emails, summarize documents, create work product, prepare presentations, and even help with performance reviews — whether employers have approved it or not.
And most companies are
’Tis the Season for California’s New Employment Laws: Employer Considerations for 2026
As California employers head into another year of compliance planning, the Golden State legislature has not slowed down. From higher wage thresholds and expanded pay-equity rules to sweeping changes affecting AI use, layoffs, and worker mobility, the coming year brings a slate of employment law updates that HR, legal, and business leaders may want to
A tale of two (alleged) sexual assaults
A popular Cleveland restaurant and a popular Charlotte brewery chose very different paths after their owners were accused of sex-based crimes.
After rape charges were filed against the owner of Cleveland’s TownHall, the owner’s response was to fight—attack the prosecution, question the process, threaten legal action, and keep operating as usual. The framing was unmistakable:
Ontario’s Pay Transparency Rules: Employers Must Comply Now
Ontario’s pay transparency and hiring rules are now fully in effect.As of January 1, 2026, employers across Ontario are required to comply with new pay transparency and job posting obligations introduced through the Working for Workers Four and Five Acts. These changes significantly alter how many employers advertise jobs, communicate with candidates, and
January 1, 2026: Quiet Legal Changes Chicago-Area Business Owners Should Not Ignore
For Chicago-area business owners, January 1, 2026 is shaping up to be a deceptively important date. There is no single headline-grabbing law taking effect. Instead, several Illinois and federal changes arrive at once, quietly affecting hiring practices, payroll, employee benefits, business expenses, and tax planning. These are exactly the kinds of changes that tend to