What starts as a simple employment verification request can quickly turn into something riskier. As hospitals dig deeper during physician credentialing, HR professionals are increasingly faced with forms that ask for more than just facts—venturing into judgment calls about clinical skills, professionalism, and “potential concerns.”

These requests may seem routine, but they can carry real…

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…

The VETS-4212 filing period for federal contractors opened last week on August 1, 2025, and closes on September 30, 2025.

Federal contractors and subcontractors with 50 or more employees and at least one federal contract of $150,000 or more are required to file their annual VETS-4212 Report, which provides an overview of the contractor’s workforce…

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer issued Order 08-2025 and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued a Bulletin explaining the Secretary’s Order.  Importantly for federal contractors, “OFCCP will be exercising its discretion to administratively close all pending compliance reviews and will take no further action related to the scheduling list…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently stated that it will not enforce an employee-friendly independent contractor rule implemented by the Biden administration in 2024 (“Biden Rule”). The Biden Rule made it more difficult for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors. In contrast, the DOL’s announced approach will renew focus on a factor that…

As of yesterday—May 20, 2025—EEO-1 data collection is open. The deadline to file the 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 report is June 24, 2025. The EEOC stated there will be no extensions, so covered employers should act promptly to file their reports.  For detailed information on the EEOC’s substantive filing requirements, employers may refer to the…

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…