Last Payment for Production Employees in the Motion Picture Industry
California’s Labor Code section 201.5 creates a tailored final‑pay regime for workers engaged in motion‑picture production and broadcasting. The statute requires that terminated employees receive all earned wages by the next regular payday, with payment permissible by mail or at a designated county location. It applies to full‑time, temporary, and union‑covered crew across all moving‑image formats, and does not differentiate between resignation and dismissal. Employers must align collective‑bargaining agreements with the statute’s timing limits to avoid penalties.
Cal/OSHA Proposes a New ‘Walkaround Rule’
On February 13, 2026 Cal/OSHA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to create a “walkaround rule” that would let additional employee, employer and third‑party representatives accompany inspectors during workplace inspections. The draft mirrors the federal OSHA rule but expands representation...
Texas Freezes Filing of New H-1B Petitions by State Agencies and Public Institutions of Higher Education
Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state agencies and public universities to halt all new H‑1B visa petitions until May 31, 2027, pending written permission from the Texas Workforce Commission. The directive also requires these entities to submit detailed sponsorship data by March 27, 2026....
New Mandated Reporter Requirements for the Entertainment Industry in California
Effective Jan 1 2026, California AB 653 (CAMERA) expands mandated‑reporter duties to talent agents, managers and coaches who work with minors. These individuals must report suspected child abuse under CANRA, with failure constituting a misdemeanor. Employers in the entertainment sector must treat this...
Nevada Enacts New Workplace Protections for Employees Exposed to Wildfire Smoke
Nevada’s Senate Bill 260, effective Jan. 1, 2026, requires employers to protect outdoor workers from wildfire‑smoke exposure. Covered firms must create written mitigation programs, monitor Air Quality Index values, train staff in understandable languages, and set up two‑way communication for AQI alerts...
Transitioning Remote Employees Back to the Office: 7 Key Insights for Global Employers
Employers worldwide are reassessing remote‑work policies, aiming to bring staff back to physical offices after years of pandemic‑induced flexibility. While U.S. at‑will employment permits unilateral mandates, many international jurisdictions treat long‑term remote work as an implied contractual term, requiring employee...
Florida and Texas AGs Issue Sweeping Anti-DEI Opinions on MLK Day
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued coordinated opinions declaring that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs violate equal‑protection guarantees. Both opinions lean on the Supreme Court’s 2023 Students...
Delaware Supreme Court Says Employer Can Enforce Restrictive Covenants After Revoking Ex-Employee’s Equity
The Delaware Supreme Court reversed a Chancery ruling and held that consideration for restrictive covenants is measured at the time the agreement is signed, not when it is enforced. In North American Fire Ultimate Holdings v. Doorly, the court affirmed...
Medicare Fraud Reporting: Whistleblower Program Overview and Common Questions
The Medicare whistleblower program, grounded in the False Claims Act, allows private citizens to file qui‑tam lawsuits exposing fraudulent Medicare claims. Successful relators receive a share of recoveries, which have totaled tens of billions of dollars, while the government gains...
IRS Roundup- January 21 – February 9, 2026
The IRS issued several key updates between Jan 21 and Feb 9, 2026, including Notice 2026‑9 extending the deadline for IRA and pension plan amendments to Dec 31 2027, and Fact Sheet 2026‑2 outlining the rollout of fully electronic federal payments under Executive Order 14247. It opened applications...
New Jersey Expands Rights Under the New Jersey Family Leave Act
On January 17, 2026 Governor Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill 3451, expanding the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA). The law lowers the employer coverage threshold from 30 to 15 employees and reduces employee eligibility to three months of service...
When Employee Misconduct Becomes Marketplace Deception: Court Clarifies Chapter 93A’s Reach
The U.S. District Court for Massachusetts held that Chapter 93A does not cover routine employment disputes but can apply when an employee secretly competes using the employer’s resources and brand. In CMTA, Inc. v. Dussault, the court allowed the unfair‑practice claim...