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Quick Hits On December 19, 2025, Governor Hochul signed into law legislation amending New York’s General Business Law to restrict the use of an applicant’s/employee’s credit history in employment decisions, effective April 28, 2026. The new law prohibits employers from requesting or using credit reports for employees or job applicants unless they fall into specific exceptions, such as certain positions that will have regular access to trade secrets, and positions…

Quick Hits Workers in certain certified professions in Canada can now more easily obtain authorization to work in other jurisdictions. Labour mobility between the provinces and territories, and at the federal level, has reduced red-tape barriers to help qualified professionals work outside the province where they are licensed or regulated. These changes make it easier for employers to reach a larger labour pool while reducing delays and paperwork. Federal—Free Trade…

Quick Hits The California Civil Rights Department’s preliminary pay data reporting templates for the 2025 pay reporting cycle show three new columns on both the payroll employee and the labor contractor employee reports: (1) Exemption Status; (2) Employment Type; and (3) Total Annual Weeks Worked. The preliminary templates show that these new columns are not required fields for the 2025 pay data reporting. The preliminary templates and FAQs are subject…

Quick Hits The legal landscape of employment arbitration continues to evolve as plaintiffs’ attorneys mount new challenges, particularly in light of laws like the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (EFAA). Employers can avoid pitfalls by staying informed on the latest issues and carefully crafting and regularly evaluating their arbitration agreements to maintain effectiveness and enforceability. The Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) promotes the use of arbitration…

Quick Hits Employees may use FMLA leave to attend medical appointments related to serious health conditions for themselves or for a qualifying family member. FMLA leave also covers reasonable travel to and from such appointments. Medical certifications need not include an estimate of travel time to be complete and sufficient. Using FMLA Leave for Medical Appointments The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take up to twelve work…

Quick Hits CBP recently proposed changes to its Visa Waiver Program and Electronic System for Travel Authorization and invited public comment through February 9, 2026. Proposed changes include moving to a mobile-only application (the ESTA mobile app) and requiring extensive new data, including social media information and family member details. Enhanced vetting and security changes include adding required applicant biometric uploads (i.e., a photograph of the applicant’s face or a…

Quick Hits New York Assembly Bill A9452 seeks to amend the newly enacted Trapped at Work Act, which prohibits stay or pay agreements that require employees to repay training expenses if they leave their job. The proposed chapter amendments would narrow the scope of the original law to apply specifically to employees, excluding independent contractors and other workers from the prohibitions on reimbursement agreements. The amendments would also allow employers…

Quick Hits Employers must submit separation information through the NJDOL’s Employer Access portal. Previously, employers provided separation information to the NJDOL via a designated email address. Employers may want to register now for portal access and use it to make all timely separation submissions, despite some ambiguity about what separation-related information the NJDOL requires employers to provide. What the 2022 UCL Amendments Require The 2022 amendments to New Jersey’s Unemployment…

Quick Hits USCIS will place a hold on all pending benefit requests filed by or for foreign nationals who are citizens of or were born in countries listed in Presidential Proclamation 10998, issued in December 2025. USCIS will also re-review approved benefit requests of foreign nationals impacted by Presidential Procalamation 10998 who were approved on or after January 20, 2021, an expansion of scope from its December 2, 2025, memorandum.…