State and city-specific policies

Required employee handbook policies by state

Latest Handbook and Employment Updates

January 2026: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Rhode Island:
Rhode Island has increased Temporary Caregiver Benefits leave length to 8 weeks effective January 1, 2026.
Pennsylvania:
Pittsburgh has updated its Paid Sick Days Act effective January 1, 2026. Leave accruals have increased to 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (previously 1 hour per 35 hours). Employees at companies with 15+ employees may accrue up to 72 hours; smaller companies up to 40 hours.
Oregon:
Oregon has updated its Paid Sick Leave law effective January 1, 2026. The update permits employees to use paid sick leave to donate blood.
New Hampshire:
New Hampshire has enacted new military leave protections effective January 1, 2026. Employees with a spouse in the military are now protected from discharge or adverse employment actions based on the spouse's involuntary mobilization.
New Hampshire:
Effective January 1, 2026, New Hampshire employers must provide up to 25 hours of unpaid leave for employees to attend medical appointments related to childbirth, postpartum care, or pediatric appointments within the first year of a child's birth or adoption.
Minnesota:
Minnesota has provided updated guidance on meal and rest breaks, effective January 1, 2026. Employers should review and update their break policies accordingly.
Minnesota:
Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave becomes effective January 1, 2026. It provides paid leave for absences due to serious health conditions affecting the employee or their family, the birth or adoption of a child, for victims of domestic or sexual violence, and active-duty military deployments.
Illinois:
Effective January 1, 2026, the Illinois Employee Blood and Organ Donation Leave Act has been updated to allow part-time employees to take paid leave for blood and organ donation.
Illinois:
The Illinois Military Leave Act has been updated effective January 1, 2026. Employees whose employment is interrupted by military service may now use any accrued paid leave during their service, though they are not required to do so.
Delaware:
Delaware Paid Leave becomes effective January 1, 2026. It provides paid leave for absences due to serious health conditions affecting the employee or their family, the birth or adoption of a child, and active-duty military deployments. Employers should add this new policy to their employee handbook.
Colorado:
Effective January 1, 2026, Colorado has expanded its Family Medical Leave program. Employees with a child receiving care in an inpatient neonatal intensive care unit are now eligible for up to twelve additional weeks of leave during the duration of the care.
Washington:
Washington's Paid Family and Medical Leave program has been updated effective January 1, 2026. The minimum claim duration has been reduced from 8 to 4 consecutive hours. Job protection requirements have also been updated, reducing the length of service requirement to 180 calendar days.
Washington:
Effective January 1, 2026, Washington has updated its Leave for Victims of Domestic Violence policy to include "hate crime" as a qualifying reason for leave. Employees who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, hate crimes, or stalking may take reasonable time off from work.
California:
California's Paid Sick Leave law has been updated effective January 1, 2026. The update includes new reasons for leave usage, including for victims of a qualifying act of violence. Employers should update their California Paid Sick Leave policy accordingly.
California:
Effective January 1, 2026, California employers must maintain detailed training records. These records must include the employee's name, trainer's name, training date, content, and any certifications or qualifications that resulted from training. Employers must retain these records for at least three years.
December 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Minnesota:
Employers must post a notice developed by the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) in a conspicuous place. Employers must also provide written information regarding the availability of Paid Family and Medical Leave benefits by this date, or within 30 days from the beginning of employment.
November 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Multiple States:
There are multiple updates across many states and cities that take effect on January 1, 2026. Now is a good time to review your handbook and include any new updates.
California:
California has expanded its pay transparency legislation to include updated requirements for disclosing the “pay scale” to applicants. These updates are effective January 1, 2026.
California:
California has updated protections for victims of domestic violence and their family members. The new rules apply to “qualifying acts of violence” that occurred during prior periods.
California:
Effective January 1, 2026, California employers must maintain detailed training records. These records must include the employee’s name, trainer’s name, training date, subject matter, and any new skills or certifications. Employers must retain these records for at least three years.
Ohio:
Cuyahoga County, Ohio (including Cleveland), has banned discrimination based on natural hairstyles. The CROWN Act, effective November 13, 2025, prohibits discrimination against individuals based on hair texture or style. The local law aligns with a nationwide effort to advance protections for race-based hair discrimination.
Minnesota:
By November 1, 2025, Minnesota employers must notify seasonal employees in writing that they are not eligible for Paid Leave benefits. This is a requirement ahead of the new Paid Leave law that takes effect on January 1, 2026.
October 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Nevada:
The state’s child labor law now includes lower caps for young workers. Employees under the age of 16 are now capped at 40 hours of work per week, and are prohibited from working between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am on school nights.
Ohio:
The city of Cleveland has passed a new pay transparency law, which is effective October 27, 2025. Companies with 15 or more applicants and employees with salary ranges for posted jobs. Employers are prohibited from inquiring about a candidate's prior compensation history.
Montana:
The state now provides protections for volunteer emergency responders for being late or absent from work when connected to their volunteer emergency service.
Massachusetts:
The state’s new pay transparency and wage disclosure law becomes effective October 29, 2025. Companies with 25 or more employees must include a good-faith pay range for job postings and disclose that range to internal and external applicants.
Colorado:
Penalties for violations of wage and hours rules have increased sharply. Employer fines for a willful violation are now $5,000 and $25,000 for a second willful violation within five years. A second willful violation without a remedy in 60 days is $50,000.
Maryland:
The Employment and Insurance Equality for Service Members Act expands protections for military service members, including leave for family members of service members and upcoming expanded leave under FAMLI.
Maryland:
The state’s Wage Range Transparency law law goes into effect on October 1, 2025. The new law requires employers to include the wage range (minimum and maximum) as well as other benefits for internal and external candidates.
September 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Oregon:
The Oregon Family Leave Act was updated to clarify that leave to care for a child applies only if the child is under 18 or is an adult dependent who is substantially limited by physical or mental impairment. More details here.
Illinois:
A new amendment to the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act requires employers to provide paid break time (30 minutes per session) to express breast milk for up to one year after birth, unless doing so causes undue hardship. This becomes effective January 1, 2026. Read the full text here.
Illinois:
The renamed Military Leave Act (formerly the Family Military Leave Act) now requires paid leave for eligible employees on funeral honors details—up to 8 hours/month and 40 hours/year, at regular pay. Effective immediately. Learn more here.
Illinois:
Substantial civil penalties are now effective for violations of the Illinois Human Rights Act. The first penalty can be up to $16,000 per event, and higher for repeat violations. Details available here.
Maine:
Employees with accrued but unused sick leave must be allowed to carry those hours into subsequent years—though leave use remains capped at 40 hours per year. Read the Maine DOL’s summary here.
Nebraska:
The state’s new paid sick leave law (Healthy and Sustainable Families and Workplaces Act) becomes effective October 1, 2025. Employers must provide notice to employees by September 15, 2025. Learn more here.
August 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Colorado:
Employers who misclassify employees are subject to steep fines, effective August 6, 2025. The fine for willful misclassification of an employee may be subject to a $5,000 fine.
Alaska:
The state's paid sick leave law became effective July 1, 2025, and employers are required to provide notice to all employees no later than August 1, 2025 that they are entitled to paid sick leave. This policy update is available in the handbook.
Missouri:
Employers in the state are no longer required to provide paid sick leave to employees effective August 28, 2025. The law, which went into effect May 1, has been repealed. This policy update is available in the handbook.
Minnesota:
The city of Minneapolis added a new anti-discrimination statute based on a person's "justice-impacted status", which includes having "a criminal record or history, including any arrest, charge, conviction, period of incarceration, or past or current probationary status". Additionally, housing status is a protected characteristic as well. This policy update is available in the handbook.
July 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Wyoming:
Non-compete agreements in Wyoming are significantly limited as of July 1, 2025. These agreements become unenforceable for most employees under the new regulations, with some narrow exceptions.
Colorado:
Effective July 1, 2025, employers in Colorado must obtain consent from employees for collecting or using their biometric data. Employers should evaluate the data they collect on employees, including fingerprints, facial recognition systems, and the use of audio or photographs.
Virginia:
An existing ban on non-compete agreements for low-wage workers has been expanded to include employees subject to the FLSA. Effective July 1, 2025, employees who can earn overtime (ie, non-exempt).
Iowa:
A new law requires that employees who adopt a child be provided with the same benefits as employees having a newborn biological child. An update for this policy is available in your handbook dashboard.
Alaska:
Paid sick leave is required to be provided by most employers in Alaska as of July 1, 2025. Written notice should be provided by July 31, 2025, or as of an employee's date of hire. An update for this policy is available in your handbook dashboard.
Illinois:
A clarification from relevant agencies clarifies that employees in Cook County cannot earn leave while taking leave. An update for this policy is available in your handbook dashboard.
California:
Employers in Los Angeles County are subject to a new Fair Workweek Ordinance (FWWO). Previously, this ordinance only applied to employees in the City of Los Angeles. It applies to retail businesses with 300 or more employees in total. An update for this policy is available in your handbook dashboard.
New Hampshire:
New accommodations for nursing employees apply to companies with 6 or more employees and are effective July 1, 2025. An update for this policy is available in your handbook dashboard.
Vermont:
Parental and Family Leave has been expanded to include additional reasons leave may be taken (including bereavement, domestic violence, or qualifying military exigency). Vermont Short Term Leave is also expanded to include broader definitions of family member. An update for this policy is available in your handbook dashboard.
June 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Kentucky:
The state legislature passed a law that aligns the state's health and safety standards with OSHA and prohibits the state agency from enforcing standards that have not been adopted by the federal agency.
National:
Employers with 100 or more employees and federal contractors with 50 or more employees must submit 2024 data related to workforce composition by job category, race/ethnicity, and sex by June 24, 2025.
New Jersey:
Effective June 1, companies with 10 or more employees that have employees in New Jersey, do business in the state, must provide required pay transparency disclosures related to wages, benefits, and other compensation.
May 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Virginia:
State Bill 1218 was recently signed into law. The legislation prohibits employers in Virginia from enforcing or entering into a non-compete agreement with an employee who earns less than the average wage in the state, which is currently around $76,081 per year. This legislation becomes effective in July 2025.
Illinois:
Employers are required to provide at least 24 consecutive hours of rest to employees each week under the One Day Rest in Seven Act. A recent bill prohibits retaliation against employees for exercising their rights under the act.
Missouri:
The state's minimum wage increase was also upheld. The new $15 minimum wage becomes effective January 1, 2026. The current minimum wage is $13.75/hr.
Missouri:
A voter-approved initiative calling for paid sick leave went into effect on May 1, 2025. Employers are required to provide 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. The state's Supreme Court upheld the law after challenges.
National:
A new executive order directs federal agencies to cease the use and enforcement of "disparate impact" standards in civil rights investigations, regulations, and enforcement actions. The order argues that evaluating outcomes based on group statistics, rather than direct evidence of intentional discrimination, undermines individual merit, creates unfair advantages or disadvantages.
April 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

New Mexico:
A new heat illness rule has been proposed to protect employees who work in hot conditions indoors or outdoors. It includes acclimatization, training, emergency procedures, and control measures.
Missouri:
Employers must provide notice to their employees by April 15 about the new paid sick leave law that becomes effective on May 1, 2025. The new law provides either 40 or 56 hours of paid sick leave per year, depending on the size of the company.
March 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

National:
Multiple executive orders have been issued and several are pending court challenges. Ongoing updates will be provided.
National:
The State Department narrowed eligibility for nonimmigrant visa interview waivers, reducing the prior 48-month grace period to just 12 months and limiting waivers to applicants renewing visas in the same category. This change, made in response to an executive order aimed at tightening visa screening. This change affects H-1B visa applicants.
Wyoming:
Non-compete agreements are much more difficult to enter into with employees and independent contractors in the state. A recently signed bill goes into effect July 1, 2025, and significantly narrows the exceptions in which a non-compete agreement is allowed.
New York:
Retail employers with 10 or more employees will need to adopt a workplace violence prevention policy. Larger employers with 500 or more employees have additional requirements, including installing a silent response button (SRB) or "panic button". The effective date for this has been moved from March 4, 2025 to June 2, 2025.
February 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

National:
Multiple executive orders have been issued and several are pending court challenges. Ongoing updates will be provided.
Michigan:
The Michigan Earned Sick Time Act becomes effective on February 21, 2025. Employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Employees of small businesses (fewer than 10 employees) may use up to 40 hours of leave per year, while companies with 10 or more employees may use up to 72 hours per year.
January 2025: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

New Hampshire:
Many private employers who receive state funds may no longer prohibit employees from keeping a firearm in their vehicle at work.
Missouri:
Effective January 1, 2025 applicants may answer in the negative to prior convictions that have been expunged.
Illinois:
Employers must not discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of family responsibilities. A new law is effective January 1, 2025.
Illinois:
Employers are required to retain pay stub information for at least 3 years and provide them to current or former employees upon request.
Illinois:
Effective January 1, 2025 employers are prohibited from using AI that has a discriminatory effect. Companies are also required to notify employees if they use AI for employment decisions.
National:
Many states had updates that require changes to handbook policies. You are encouraged to subscribe to incorporate the many important changes.
November 2024: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Nebraska:
Employers with 20 or more employees must provide up to 56 hours of paid sick leave to employees. Companies with 19 or fewer employees must provide up to 40 hours. Nebraska voters approved a ballot initiative which goes into effect on October 1, 2025.
Missouri:
Effective May 1, 2025, Missouri employees will earn paid sick leave. Companies with 15 or more employees earn up to 56 hours, while companies with 14 or fewer employees earn up to 40 hours of paid leave. The state minimum wage was also increased to $15/hour.
Alaska:
Voters also approved a minimum wage increase to $13/hour and restrictions to mandatory employee meetings on religious or political topics.
Alaska:
As a result of Ballot Measure 1, which passed in November several significant changes are coming including state-wide paid sick leave. Employees will accrue up to 56 hours of paid leave. The policy goes into effect July 1, 2025.
Massachusetts:
Effective November 21, 2024, employees can use earned sick time to "address the employee's own physical and mental health needs, and those of their spouse, if the employee or the employee's spouse experiences pregnancy loss or a failed assisted reproduction, adoption or surrogacy."
October 2024: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Maryland:
Effective October 1, 2024, companies are required to post wages and descriptions of benefits with all job postings that will be performed at least partly in Maryland.
Maryland:
The Maryland Equal Pay for Equal Work Act was updated to prohibit pay discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, disability, or religious beliefs.
Connecticut:
Family Violence Leave has been updated to include victims of sexual assault. Companies with 3 or more employees are required to provide up to 12 days of leave for employees who qualify for leave.
September 2024: Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook or letting us update an existing handbook for you.

Minnesota:
Employers are required to maintain health coverage while employees are utilizing an accommodation for pregnancy.
Louisiana:
Only workers under 16 years of age are entitled to a meal break when working 5 or more consecutive hours. The previous age required was 18.
Illinois:
Employers are prohibited from requiring employees to attend mandatory "captive audience" meetings concerning union representation. The legislation goes into effect on January 1, 2025.
Illinois:
In House Bill 3773, the Illinois Human Rights Act was amended to protect against discrimination and require transparency regarding the use of AI in companies.

“For companies that have employees in multiple states, ensuring you have the most up-to-date state and city-specific policies is essential to keeping the company aligned and clear on what policies apply.”