The classification of employees versus independent contractors continues to be a hot topic, especially in an economy where more businesses outsource work to independent contractors. Classification matters because it...more
2/27/2026
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Independent Contractors ,
Misclassification ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Proposed Rules ,
Risk Management ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Wage and Hour
On February 2, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) filed a Statement of Interest in Alcazar v. Fashion Nova, Inc., 20-cv-01434 (N.D. Cal.). The DOJ urged the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of...more
2/19/2026
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Class Action ,
Compliance Monitoring ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Title III ,
Unruh Civil Rights Act ,
Website Accessibility ,
Websites
On February 10, 2026, the Connecticut Supreme Court officially released its decision in Del Rio v. Amazon.com Services Inc. (SC 21109), holding that under Connecticut law, employers must compensate employees for time spent...more
2/16/2026
/ Amazon ,
Back Pay ,
Class Action ,
Connecticut ,
CT Supreme Court ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Over-Time ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Timekeeping ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour
Join Hinckley Allen’s Labor & Employment team for a two-part lunch-and-learn webinar series focused on key federal and state employment law developments taking effect in 2026. Each session is organized by jurisdiction and...more
1/22/2026
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Leave ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Risk Management ,
Social Media Policy ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Webinars
Join Hinckley Allen’s Labor & Employment team for a two-part lunch-and-learn webinar series focused on key federal and state employment law developments taking effect in 2026. Each session is organized by jurisdiction and...more
1/22/2026
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Leave ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Risk Management ,
Social Media Policy ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Webinars
The start of a new year is an excellent time for employers to review their policies, procedures, and agreements to ensure they are aware of and comply with laws taking effect in 2026.
Our attorneys closely track...more
1/16/2026
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Caregivers ,
Credit Checks ,
Disparate Impact ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Contract ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
State Labor Laws ,
State-Run Retirement Plans ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour
On January 6, 2026, the New York State Assembly introduced Bill A09452, a proposed Amendment (the “Amendment”) that would materially revise the Trapped at Work Act (the “Act”) if adopted. For background on the Act as...more
1/16/2026
/ Contract Terms ,
Employee Rights ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Contract ,
Enforcement Actions ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
Penalties ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reimbursements ,
State Labor Laws
On December 19, 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law the Trapped at Work Act (the “Act”), New York Labor Law (“NYLL”) §§ 1050–1055. Shortly thereafter, on January 1, 2026, New York’s statewide minimum wage increased...more
1/6/2026
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
Penalties ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unenforceable Contract Terms ,
Wage and Hour
As the new year approaches, we recommend employers take the time to review some key employment policies that can mitigate litigation risk. Two areas in particular to review are diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”)...more
The Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) issued a Decision and Order ( the “Decision,”) (Docket No. C-4817, issued April 21, 2025) against accessiBe Inc. and accessiBe Ltd. (together “accessiBe”), a website accessibility...more
Beginning on January 1, 2026, New Hampshire employers with at least 20 employees are required by law to provide employees with up to 25 hours of unpaid leave to attend postpartum and pediatric healthcare visits after the...more
Florida recently enacted the Contracts Honoring Opportunity, Investment, Confidentiality, and Economic Growth (CHOICE) Act (“The CHOICE Act” or “Act”), which brings significant changes to the manner in which the state...more
On June 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision holding that “reverse discrimination” claims are not subject to a heightened standard of proof. This decision clarifies the legal standard required for such...more
On April 23, 2025, President Trump issued his executive order, Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy (“EO”). The EO’s stated purpose is “to eliminate the use of disparate-impact liability in all contexts to the...more
On March 19, 2025, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released two “technical assistance documents” for the purpose of “educating the public about unlawful...more
On March 14, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit granted the government’s request to stay a Maryland federal judge’s nationwide preliminary injunction that temporarily stopped three key provisions of...more
3/18/2025
/ Appeals ,
Compliance ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Injunctions ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Trump Administration
On January 20 and 21, 2025, President Trump declared “DEI” to be henceforth “illegal” and issued two executive orders aimed at eliminating DEI programs – leaving employers in the private and public sectors to wonder – what...more
2/26/2025
/ Constitutional Challenges ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Educational Institutions ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Fifth Amendment ,
First Amendment ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Trump Administration
On January 21, 2025, President Trump advanced his pledge to “take action to abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programs “throughout the government and the private sector” by issuing the...more
The expanded CT Paid Sick Leave requirements were signed into law on May 21, 2024, and were effective January 1, 2025. Since that time, the CT Department of Labor (“DOL”) published, and subsequently updated, FAQs and...more
We previously notified New York State employers of an amendment to the paid sick leave law for prenatal care. The law went into effect January 1, 2025. All employers need to ensure they understand and comply with the law....more
Hinckley Allen’s Labor & Employment Group invites you to our fifth virtual Lunch & Learn program. We’ll cover various topics, including:
- Potential policy changes under the new Trump administration...more
12/19/2024
/ Best Practices ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
EEO ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employment Policies ,
NLRB ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pay Transparency ,
Secretary of Labor ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour ,
Webinars
On July 31, 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed into law the “Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act” (H.4890 or the “Act”). The legislature drafted this new act to enhance wage equity and transparency across the...more
8/27/2024
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Equity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Pay Transparency ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On August 20, a federal court in Texas issued an order invalidating the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) ban on noncompete agreements (Final Rule), which had been set to take effect on September 4, 2024. The decision, issued...more
8/22/2024
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
On July 3, 2024, a federal court in Texas issued an order that partially enjoins the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) from implementing or enforcing its Final Rule prohibiting most non-compete agreements (the “Final Rule”),...more
7/16/2024
/ Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Labor Reform ,
Motion To Enjoin ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
Hinckley Allen’s Labor & Employment Group invites you to attend its fourth virtual Lunch & Learn program. Join Partners, Christine Bush and Lisa Zaccardelli, alongside Associate Julianna Malogolowkin, for an insightful...more