Author: James W. Ward
California Adds Federal Arbitration Act Exclusions to State Law
On June 30, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2155, which changes California law governing the enforceability of arbitration agreements. This bill amends the…
IRS Mileage Rates Increased Again on July 1
On July 13, 2026, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a rare midyear increase to the optional standard mileage rates, which are used to calculate…
EEOC Removes Decades-Old Affirmative Action Guidance
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it rescinded two affirmative action guidance documents it adopted approximately 40 years…
DOL Publishes Opinions on Meal Period, Timekeeping Issues
At the end of May, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published four opinion letters. These letters are the agency’s written guidance on how it…
DOL Approves Bonus Program That Avoids Overtime Recalculation
In its recently published Opinion Letter FLSA2026-6, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) endorsed an employer’s quarterly bonus program as a “percentage of total earnings”…
DOL Says Federal Law Allows Exempt Employees To Perform Nonexempt Work for Extra Pay
On May 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published Opinion Letter FLSA2026-5, confirming that an employee who is otherwise exempt under the Fair…
Federal Court Strikes Down $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
On June 8, 2026, a federal district court in Massachusetts vacated the $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions that was established in September 2025 by…
U.S. DOL Officially Rescinds Its 2024 Overtime Rule
On May 14, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the publication of a technical amendment that will officially rescind the DOL’s 2024 overtime…
Protecting Workers from Wildfire Smoke: Safety Reminders for California Employers
Wind and dry conditions have contributed to several wildfires springing up in California this week, jumpstarting California’s peak fire season. Though wildfires are a year-round…
EEOC Looking to End EEO-1 Reporting
For decades, private employers with 100 or more employees have submitted reports with workforce demographic data, including data by job category, sex and race or…
