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Oregon’s 2026 short legislative session is underway, and a few proposed bills could affect employers of all shapes and sizes.  Although short sessions move quickly, they often include important policy changes, particularly in the labor and employment space.  Below is an overview of three bills that Oregon employers should monitor closely. 

HB 4089 – Criminal …

California’s leave and benefits landscape continues to expand with revised paid sick leave rules, upcoming changes to paid family leave, and broader personnel file access requirements. Employers must understand these changes to avoid disputes and maintain compliant practices.

Here is what you need to know.

Paid Sick Leave Expansion

California’s paid sick leave law now…

Through new legislation and shifting enforcement priorities, California continues to challenge common workplace practices, including collectible wage judgments and binding employment agreements. Employers must understand how new rules on wage judgment penalties, stay-or-pay provisions, and arbitration agreements affect risk and strategy.

Below is what employers need to know for 2026.

Wage Judgment Enforcement Is Getting…

California continues to push pay transparency further into the mainstream of employment law. Employers with 15 or more employees now face more detailed requirements for posting wage ranges and reporting pay data. Penalties for missing or incomplete information have increased, and misunderstandings about these rules can lead to significant exposure.

Here is what every California…

Upcoming Webinar: New Year, New Laws – What Oregon Employers Need to Know for 2026 – February 4, 2026
As a new year gets underway, gain a clear understanding of the employment law changes Oregon employers need to know. Join Stoel Rives labor and employment attorneys Melissa Healy, Matt Tellam, and Megan Bradford…

As Congress approaches a funding lapse resulting in a government shutdown, California employers should prepare for several indirect effects on workplace operations. Although a federal shutdown does not halt California’s employment laws, it does pause many federal agency functions, as discussed below.

Federal Enforcement Agencies

Most federal labor agencies will furlough staff and suspend routine…

As the 83rd Oregon Legislative Session approaches its end, several employment-related bills are still in play, and they could carry significant implications for businesses across the state. While none have been signed into law yet, the momentum behind them makes this a critical time for employers to pay attention and speak up.

Three proposals—SB 916…

Washington’s legislature has approved two bills poised to significantly reshape employer obligations around layoffs and job postings. Though not yet signed into law, both bills—if enacted—will require prompt action and policy updates from employers operating in the state.

Mini-WARN Act: More Notice, Broader Reach

Senate Bill 5525, modeled on the federal WARN Act, ups the…

In Bradsbery v. Vicar Operating, Inc., a California Court of Appeal answered a question that many California employers may not have known even needed to be answered—whether California employees can prospectively waive their mandatory meal periods.  Given the almost universal use of such waivers by employers (based on the assumption that the waivers are…