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 5

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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Ogletree Deakins Insights

The Dedicated Employee: Volunteering and German Employment Law

By Tatjana Serbina & LL.M. (London)

September 29, 2026

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Quick Hits

Volunteering may trigger certain duties of consideration (Rücksichtnahmepflichten) for employers.
The specific activity is decisive, however, so each case must be assessed individually.
As a general rule, volunteering remains a private matter.

What Is Volunteering?Volunteering (Ehrenamt) generally means

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

Responding to an Overdose Emergency at Work: OSHA’s New Guidance

By Michael Clarkson

September 29, 2026

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Quick Hits

On September 24, 2026, OSHA issued a fact sheet that includes tips for being prepared for drug overdoses, including stocking opioid overdose reversal medications and training employees to administer them.
Sometimes opioids are implicated in suicide attempts. The

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

California CRD Pay Data Reporting Enforcement Actions Highlight Risks for Nonfilers

By James A. Patton Jr., Kiosha H. Dickey, Publisher & Christopher W. Olmsted

September 29, 2026

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Quick Hits

Private employers with one hundred or more employees in the United States with at least one employee working in California are required to file relevant payroll employee and labor contractor employee reports each reporting year.
Employers are currently

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

Beltway Buzz, September 25, 2026

By James J. Plunkett

September 25, 2026

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The Beltway Buzz® is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business.

NLRB Returns to Clear Standard for Addressing Abusive Employee Conduct. This week,

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

The DoW SkillBridge Program—Beyond the Basics: Placement Credit, Administration, and Benefits (Part II of II)

By Adam J. Crane & James A. Patton Jr.

September 25, 2026

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Quick Hits

SkillBridge does not bar background checks, but employers should apply standard background requirements consistently and not subject service members to additional scrutiny.
SkillBridge does not create a separate recordkeeping regime, but its reporting requirements can impact the maintenance

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

Deployment of AI Recruitment Tools in the EU: Employer Obligations Under GDPR and EU AI Act

By Simon J. McMenemy & Nicola McCrudden

September 25, 2026

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Quick Hits

Spain’s data protection authority, the AEPD, issued a formal warning to a company before its AI recruitment tool was switched on.
EU regulators demonstrate willingness to invoke their GDPR powers and intervene at the AI procurement stage.
The

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Ogletree Deakins Insights

NLRB Restores Employer-Friendly Test for Offensive Conduct During Protected Activity

By Ryan T. Sears & Zachary V. Zagger

September 25, 2026

Quick Hits

The NLRB restored the General Motors standard for evaluating discipline when employee misconduct occurs during union or other protected concerted activity, returning to the familiar Wright Line framework used in mixed-motive discipline cases and treating the misconduct as

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