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Quick Hits California SB 1203 would increase required initial security guard training from thirty-two hours to forty-two hours and require sixty hours of annual training. The bill would require eight hours of initial and annual training to focus on practicing de-escalation skills through in-person, interactive training. Employers would be required to pay for required training and compensate security guards for time spent completing the training. The proposed requirements may also…

Quick Hits In Adelanto Elementary School District v. Krause, a California appellate court upheld the bulk of a restraining order against a former school district superintendent who later was elected to the school district’s board of trustees. The court found the former superintendent exhibited a pattern of stalking and harassing texts that were “alarming and frightening” to employees. The court shortened the duration of the restraining order and removed a…

Quick Hits The U.S. Senate confirmed two nominees for the NLRB to new five-year terms. The confirmations give the Board a 3–1 Republican majority that will allow it to overturn precedential decisions. Despite the new additions, one vacancy on the five-member Board remains. The Senate confirmed Republican James Macy, a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) official and former management-side labor attorney, and Democrat David Prouty, who was renominated for a…

Quick Hits The U.S. Senate confirmed two nominees for the NLRB to new five-year terms. The confirmations give the Board a 3–1 Republican majority that will allow it to overturn precedential decisions. Despite the new additions, one vacancy on the five-member Board remains. The Senate confirmed Republican James Macy, a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) official and former management-side labor attorney, and Democrat David Prouty, who was renominated for a…

Quick Hits The 2026 VETS-4212 reporting platform opened on August 1, 2026. All 2026 VETS-4212 filings are due by September 30, 2026. Federal contractors and subcontractors with a single covered contract of $200,000 or more are required to file VETS-4212 reports. Who must file VETS-4212 reports? Federal contractors or subcontractors with a single contract of $200,000 or more for the procurement of personal property or nonpersonal services, regardless of the…

Quick Hits In Baker v. Van Dolder’s Home Team Inc. (2026 ONCA 568), the Ontario Court of Appeal unanimously held that without-cause termination provisions containing the words “at any time” or “at any time and for any reason” are not, by that language alone, inconsistent with the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and are therefore enforceable. The decision provides an authoritative interpretive framework: termination provisions must be read in context,…

Quick Hits On August 3, 2026, the State Department published a final rule, effective immediately, that establishes a permanent visa bond program. The rule allows consular officers to require certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants from designated countries to post bonds of $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 based on an applicant’s individual circumstances. A visa bond may be forfeited if the visa holder violates the bond’s terms and conditions, including by overstaying or…

Artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted workforce analytics and simpler changes to how reports are generated and reviewed can both help employers continuously monitor that data and correct issues earlier, reducing wage-and-hour exposure in California and beyond. This article opens a new series, “Beyond the Data,” on turning existing workforce data into a preventive compliance program. It also introduces a simple, five-stage framework that the rest of the series will build on. Quick…

Quick Hits The Mexican Tax Authority’s tax electronic signature (e.firma) will now be the only digital credential for ALL employer procedures before the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). Employers have until October 14, 2026, to update their credentials. The agreement (ACDO.AS2.HCT.160726/3.P.DIR) is the result of a transition process intended to digitalize all IMSS processes. Main Modifications and Procedures The implementation of this agreement represents that the e.firma will be…

Quick Hits The DOJ recently published guidance that clarifies legal protections for religious beliefs and practices in the federal workplace, consistent with recent executive orders and decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Constitution, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) protect religious expression and practices by individuals and organizations. The new guidance is directed to federal agencies,…

Quick Hits On July 22, 2026, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board released a revised draft workplace violence prevention regulation that clarifies and narrows employer-provided transportation to only include “employer-provided transportation under the employer’s control.” The revised draft regulation no longer includes the previous exception to “Threat of Violence” that provided “The employer is not responsible for texts, electronic messages, or personal social media that are not brought…