COMPLIANCE & EMPLOYMENT LAW
Federal and state employment law changes that affect hiring and workforce management covering EEO guidance, drug testing policy shifts, I-9/E-Verify updates, wage and hour developments, and fair chance legislation.
EEOC Issues New National Enforcement Plan Replacing Prior Strategy
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released a new National Enforcement Plan on June 4, 2026, replacing the agency's 2023 Strategic Enforcement Plan and centralizing nationwide authority over investigations and litigation. The plan prioritizes intentional discrimination, pattern-or-practice claims, programs labeled as diversity, equity, and inclusion, and religious accommodation cases, while eliminating disparate impact theories to the maximum degree consistent with Executive Order 14281. The Commission may now reassign matters across districts and has withdrawn all local enforcement plans.
Source: Jackson Lewis | SEE FULL ARTICLE →
Labor Market & Workforce Trends
Macro hiring data and workforce behavior trends, jobs reports, quit rates, labor force participation, and hiring volume by sector that frame the environment organizations are hiring into.
May Jobs Report: 172,000 Added, Unemployment Holds at 4.3 Percent
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on June 5, 2026 that nonfarm payroll employment rose by 172,000 in May, well above the consensus estimate of 80,000, while the unemployment rate held at 4.3 percent. Gains were led by leisure and hospitality at 70,000 jobs, local government at 55,000, health care at 35,000, and manufacturing at 7,000, while financial activities declined. Combined revisions to March and April added 93,000 jobs, lifting the prior two-month trend.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | SEE FULL ARTICLE →
Job Openings Surge to 7.6 Million as Hires Decline
The BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey released June 3, 2026 reported that job openings rose by 731,000 to 7.6 million in April, the largest monthly increase since 2021 and the highest level since May 2024. Hires fell by 419,000 to 5.1 million and total separations declined to 5.0 million, with quits and layoffs little changed at 3.0 million and 1.7 million respectively. The gap between rising openings and falling hires continues to reflect the low-hire, low-fire dynamic that has held through 2026.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | SEE FULL ARTICLE →
ADP: Private Payrolls Add 122,000 in May With Broad-Based Gains
The ADP National Employment Report released June 3, 2026 found that private sector employment increased by 122,000 jobs in May, the strongest month since January 2025 and above the consensus estimate of 110,000. Gains were broad-based across eight of the ten sectors tracked, with education and health services leading at 57,000 hires, followed by trade, transportation and utilities at 36,000 and professional and business services at 11,000. Annual pay rose 4.4 percent for job stayers, while pay growth for job changers slowed to 6.5 percent.
Source: ADP | SEE FULL ARTICLE →
Background Screening & Verification
Legislative and regulatory updates affecting how employers collect, use, and act on background check information including FCRA changes, Ban-the-Box laws, adverse action requirements, and identity fraud in hiring.
California Court Backs FCRA Class Action Without Proof of Harm
A California Court of Appeal ruled on June 4, 2026 that workers can bring Fair Credit Reporting Act class action claims in state court without proving concrete injury, reversing a decertification order in Askins v. CRST Expedited. The court held that the FCRA's statutory damages of $100 to $1,000 per willful violation may be recovered for a non-compliant background check disclosure alone. The decision creates a split with the 2022 Limon v. Circle K decision and increases litigation exposure for any employer that runs candidate background checks in California.
Source: Human Resources Director | SEE FULL ARTICLE →
DOL Formally Rescinds 2024 Overtime Rule, Restoring Prior Thresholds
The U.S. Department of Labor published a technical amendment in the Federal Register on May 15, 2026 formally rescinding the 2024 overtime rule and reinstating the regulations in place before July 1, 2024. The restored rule requires most exempt executive, administrative, and professional employees to be paid at least $684 per week, and sets a total annual compensation threshold of $107,432 for highly compensated employees. Employers that raised salaries to meet the 2024 thresholds should review classification and compensation decisions in light of the restored numbers.
Source: Law and the Workplace / U.S. Department of Labor | SEE FULL ARTICLE →
Virginia Enacts Statewide Paid Sick Leave for All Workers
Governor Abigail Spanberger signed Virginia's statewide paid sick leave law on May 20, 2026, requiring employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, capped at five paid sick days per year. The law applies to both full-time and part-time employees and is intended to extend coverage to roughly 1.2 million private-sector workers who currently lack any paid sick leave benefit. The new program is separate from the paid family and medical leave law Governor Spanberger signed earlier in May.
Source: Office of the Governor of Virginia | SEE FULL ARTICLE →
Industry-Specific Incidents
Vertical-specific news across Transportation, Healthcare, Childcare, Youth Sports, Food Service, Retail, Light Industrial, Education, and more including sector regulators like DOT/FMCSA and CMS.
Florida Preschool Worker Charged After Striking Five Toddlers
West Melbourne, Florida police arrested Latasha Mullings, 41, on five felony counts of child abuse without great bodily harm after surveillance footage from May 19 through May 26, 2026 captured her striking five children ages 2 to 4 with a metal stapler, a shoe, a bucket, a stuffed animal, and her open hand across 11 separate incidents at Mustard Seed Kidz. The school director contacted police on May 27 after a parent reported alleged misconduct, and the worker had been employed at the facility since August 2025. The case again highlights the role of surveillance and ongoing conduct monitoring in identifying abuse that pre-hire screening alone cannot prevent.
Source: ClickOrlando | SEE FULL ARTICLE →
