Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.

Ogletree Deakins is a leading national law firm specializing in labor and employment. The firm blogs on workplace regulations and labor law updates.

Latest from Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. - Page 3

Ogletree Deakins Insights

Implementing AI as a Safety Program Ally in Manufacturing Settings

By Greta Bauer Reyes

October 1, 2026

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Quick Hits

AI tools can be extremely helpful in supporting the need for constant safety oversight in manufacturing environments
However, employers retain the responsibility to comply with OSHA regulations, even if the employer implemented an AI process designed to protect

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

Federal Court Affirms Arbitrator’s Reinstatement of Worker After Positive Drug Test

By Leslie A. Lajewski & Steven J. Luckner

October 1, 2026

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Quick Hits

A New Jersey federal district court rejected a concrete company’s bid to overturn an arbitrator’s award in favor of an employee who was discharged after testing positive for marijuana.
The court found that the odor of marijuana

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

California Governor Signs 3 Bills Targeting AI and Workplace Surveillance

By ByDanielleOchs@ogletree.com & Zachary V. Zagger

October 1, 2026

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Quick Hits

California is leading the charge to regulate AI use in the workplace with a suite of new laws targeting workplace monitoring and automated decision-making.
California’s AB 1883 bans AI-powered workplace surveillance tools that predict employees’ emotional states or

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

Trap-and-Trace Relief for California Companies: A First Step

By Sean P. Nalty & Jeffrey D. Coren

October 1, 2026

Quick Hits

Senate Bill 690 limits website-related California Penal Code Section 638.51 claims to actions brought by the attorney general, effective January 1, 2027, with a two-year retroactive reach.
The law curbs private trap-and-trace lawsuits involving cookies, pixels, and similar

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

California Adds Anti-Hate Speech Component to Mandatory Harassment Prevention Training

By ByChristopherW.Olmsted@ogletree.com

September 30, 2026

Quick Hits

Beginning January 1, 2028, employers already subject to California’s mandatory harassment prevention training requirements must incorporate an anti-hate speech component into that training.
AB 1803 does not create a separate training obligation and does not increase the existing

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

Illinois Tightens EPRC Data Standards as State Begins Analyzing Pay Submissions

By James A. Patton Jr., Kristi S. Nelson Foy, Publisher & Jennifer L. Colvin

September 30, 2026

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Quick Hits

Beginning in January 2027, the IDOL will no longer allow employers to use “prefers not to identify” for reported employees’ race/ethnicity.
The IDOL notes an academic study that suggests ways to examine EPRC filings and possibly take stronger

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

October 2026 Visa Bulletin: FY 2027 Brings Employment-Based Visa Movement

By Amanda R. Goodman & Edward J. Castillo

September 30, 2026

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The U.S. Department of State’s October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first Visa Bulletin for fiscal year (FY) 2027, restores availability in several employment-based immigrant visa categories and changes several cutoff dates from September 2026.

Quick Hits

The October 2026 Visa

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

Employers, Be Mindful of Voting Leave Laws as Election Day Approaches

By Lucas J. Asper

September 30, 2026

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Twenty-eight states require employers to provide either paid or unpaid leave for voting.
Some states have notice requirements related to employees’ right to take time off to vote.
Election Day is November 3, 2026, but many states have in-person

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

Ontario Court of Appeal Rewrites Playbook on Leave to Appeal From the Divisional Court

By Leroy Edozien

September 30, 2026

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Quick Hits

A five-judge panel of the Ontario Court of Appeal has replaced the 1973 Sault Dock framework with an updated two-part test for leave to appeal from the Divisional Court: arguability and public importance.
The same test now applies

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

New IRS Guidance Addresses SECURE and SECURE 2.0 Amendment Deadlines

By Katrina M. Clingerman, Carly E. Grey, Publisher & David S. Rosner

September 29, 2026

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Quick Hits

The IRS and Treasury Department confirmed that most employer-sponsored retirement plans generally have until December 31, 2026, to adopt discretionary amendments implementing SECURE and SECURE 2.0 provisions, with later deadlines for collectively bargained, governmental, and public school 403(b)

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