#WorkforceWednesday: SCOTUS in Review, Biden Acts to Limit Non-Competes, NY HERO Act Model Safety Plans - Employment Law This Week®
#WorkforceWednesday: Mandatory Vaccination, Tipped Worker Rule, and SCOTUS Rules Against Organized Labor - Employment Law This Week®
As we wrap up 2025 and look toward 2026, one theme rises above the rest: employers are navigating a workplace landscape that is more volatile, more tech-driven, and more globally interconnected than ever before. From sweeping...more
Maine’s minimum wage is set to increase from $14.65 to $15.10 per hour on January 1, 2026, following a 3.1% rise in the Northeast Region's cost-of-living index from August 2024 to August 2025. New in 2026, this increase will...more
Managing a farm workforce can be a heavy lift. That’s because agricultural employers need to keep up with farm labor laws and workplace regulations that seem to constantly change. That’s why we created this zero-waste...more
As the agricultural industry continues to rely heavily on foreign seasonal labor, compliance with the H-2A visa program has never been more essential — or more complex. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of...more
For the eighth year in a row, New Jersey will be increasing its minimum wage effective January 1, 2026. Under a law passed in 2019, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) initially set a new...more
Effective Oct. 2, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) implemented a sweeping overhaul of how Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) are calculated under the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. The change replaces the...more
The Immigration Team at Harris Beach Murtha invites you to join us for our 2025 Seasonal Business Labor and Immigration Compliance Webinar Series....more
The DOL just dramatically reshaped the H-2A program’s minimum wage policy, and the new framework could significantly lower wage costs for H-2A agricultural employers and help prevent severe labor shortages across the farm...more
On September 18, 2025, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA Standards Board) declined to adopt an emergency request to provide pay and sick leave protections for agricultural workers...more
Since 2023, H-2A employers have navigated a complex framework for determining the proper wage for their workers. But it’s time to throw all that out the window – agriculture employers can celebrate because we’re back to the...more
Agriculture is an essential sector for the development and continued sustenance of any State and thus should be treated with the respect it deserves. This is why California has been enforcing various laws aimed at protecting...more
On August 1, 2025, Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) reintroduced the bipartisan Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act (S. 2654). According to Slotkin’s August 6, 2025,...more
Washington employers face a wave of new workplace legislation, some of which recently became effective and some that will begin in 2026 and beyond. These new or modified laws address a broad range of topics, many of which...more
Washington lawmakers were busy this year, and a wave of new laws will have a major impact on the workplace. Employers must be aware of significant workplace laws taking effect within the next year, including 11 new laws that...more
The 2025 Colorado legislative session concluded on May 7, 2025. This latest session has brought a series of significant updates that are poised to reshape the compliance landscape for employers across the state. Among the...more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recently announced a suspension in enforcing the 2024 rule from the Biden Administration that is designed to enhance protections for H-2A workers....more
Managing a farm workforce can be a heavy lift. Agricultural employers must keep up with farm labor laws and workplace regulations that seem to constantly change, so we created this zero-waste resource for ag professionals and...more
The U.S. Department of Labor just quietly launched one of the most sweeping deregulatory efforts in recent memory, advancing over 60 proposals that could reshape workplace rules across industries. From overtime and minimum...more
Federal officials announced late Friday they were suspending enforcement of what it called “the Biden Administration’s burdensome 2024 farmworker rule,” effective immediately – news that should provide a measure of relief to...more
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been around for more than 150 years, stressing the importance of American agriculture to a bountiful food production system since Abraham Lincoln first signed it into being in...more
A recent federal jury verdict in Michigan has brought renewed attention to the compliance risks faced by employers that utilize the H-2A visa program, particularly when working with third-party labor contractors. On June 6,...more
A recently passed Washington State House Bill permits agricultural workers to unionize under the supervision of Washington’s Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC). On April 22, 2025, the Governor signed House Bill...more
A federal appeals court will soon decide whether the Department of Labor (DOL) may impose financial penalties on employers for alleged violations of the H-2A temporary visa program. While a lower court rejected a family-owned...more
In 2024, Californian workers faced a tempered legislative and judicial climate following an exciting election cycle from 2024. The California State Legislature and Governor Newsom have adjourned a legislative session that...more