Happy New Year!
With 2026 comes new minimum wage thresholds in several states and localities around the country. For example:
- New York – Minimum wage increased on New Year’s Day to $17 per hour in New York City, Long Island,
Davis+Gilbert PERKS
Workplace Law • Employee Benefits • HR Compliance
Latest from Davis+Gilbert PERKS - Page 10
New York Enacts the Trapped at Work Act Banning Stay‑or‑Pay Provisions
New York Employers
Last Friday December 19, 2025, Governor Hochul signed the “Trapped At Work Act” into effect, banning employment promissory notes and similar “stay or pay” clauses that require workers to repay money if they leave a job early,…
White House Executive Order Signals Federal Push Against State AI Employment Laws
On December 11, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order promoting a “national policy framework for artificial intelligence.” The Executive Order purports to “remove barriers to United States AI leadership” including by promoting a national framework to overcome “excessive” and…
OPM Launches U.S. Tech Force to Recruit AI and Cybersecurity Talent
On Monday, the US Office of Personnel Management issued a memorandum to the heads of federal departments and agencies, kicking off a recruiting effort called the U.S. Tech Force.
The initiative is geared towards hiring tech employees experienced in AI,…
Holiday Office Parties Raise Harassment, Wage, and Alcohol‑Related Compliance Risks
It’s workplace holiday party season! Employers, here are some quick tips to make sure that your holiday party is a positive, memorable event for all, and not an infamous one.
- Keep decor secular and not specific to any religion
- Make
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New York City Enacts Pay Data Reporting and Pay Equity Requirements
Attention NYC Employers: Last week, pay data reporting and pay equity audit mandates went into effect in New York City following the City Council’s override of Mayor Adams’ veto of the legislation.
Here is what you need to know:
Pay…
Former EEOC Officials Criticize Administration’s Anti‑DEI Executive Orders
On November 18, 2025, EEO Leaders (a group that includes former officials of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, who have served across numerous presidential administrations) issued a formal response…
IRS Issues Guidance on Tax Treatment of Tips and Overtime Pay
On November 21, 2025, the IRS issued guidance (Guidance for Individual Taxpayers who received Qualified Tips or Qualified Overtime Compensation in 2025) for taxpayers who received Qualified Tips or Qualified Overtime Compensation in 2025 and therefore are eligible…
Ohio Enacts Mini‑WARN Act Expanding Layoff Notice Obligations
Ohio employers take note:
Ohio recently enacted a state “mini-WARN” Act (“Ohio WARN”), which will supplement federal WARN notice requirements for employers anticipating mass layoffs. The requirements of the new Ohio WARN are largely the same as those under the federal…
Courts Split on Employer Discipline for Employees’ Off‑Duty Social Media Speech
Employees’ off-duty use of social media continues to be a hot topic:
- In a recent California decision, a court allowed a case to proceed to a jury in which a Muslim employee claimed he was unlawfully fired after posting on
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