by Cameron D. Ritsema, Bodman PLC
Under Michigan’s Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act (IWOWA), minimum wage increases in the state took effect on January 1, 2026.
HR Alerts
page
Home
test
Analysis
Under the Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Act, an employee who was injured in the course of employment can file an unreasonable refusal to rehire claim when the employer, without reasonable cause, refuses to rehire the...
Using a multipronged approach, the federal government is aggressively promoting greater transparency and understanding of costs and pricing in the healthcare and health insurance market. Indeed, last month, the U.S...
On January 18, 2026—as one of his last acts before leaving office—New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law A3451/S2950 to greatly expand employer coverage and employee eligibility under the New Jersey Family Leave...
As businesses grow, owners may increasingly rely on key employees and HR professionals to manage functions owners don’t directly oversee. Key employees and HR professionals are typically those employees who have access...
A study from employment and job search site Monster reports a sharp increase in the number of workers identifying a toxic culture in their workplace. The company’s 2025 Mental Health in the Workplace report, released...
Feb 01, 2026 · Employment Law Letter
· Great Lakes
· Illinois
· Indiana
· Michigan
· Ohio
· Wisconsin
· Mid-Atlantic
· Delaware
· Maryland
· New Jersey
· Pennsylvania
· Virginia
· Midwest
· Arkansas
· Kansas
· Missouri
· Oklahoma
· Mountain West
· Colorado
· Idaho
· Montana
· New Mexico
· Utah
· Wyoming
· New England
· Connecticut
· Maine
· Massachusetts
· New Hampshire
· Rhode Island
· Vermont
· Southeast
· Alabama
· Florida
· Georgia
· Louisiana
· Mississippi
· Upper Midwest
· Iowa
· Minnesota
· Nebraska
· North Dakota
· South Dakota
· West
· Alaska
· Arizona
· Hawaii
· Nevada
· Oregon
· Washington
How do your employees see their jobs? Are they working in what they consider a “quality job”? Or are they going to work every day to a less-than-satisfying role—or maybe even a job that feels like drudgery? A recent...
Feb 01, 2026 · Employment Law Letter
· New York
· Great Lakes
· Illinois
· Indiana
· Michigan
· Ohio
· Wisconsin
· Mid-Atlantic
· Delaware
· Maryland
· New Jersey
· Pennsylvania
· Virginia
· Midsouth
· Kentucky
· North Carolina
· South Carolina
· Tennessee
· West Virginia
· Midwest
· Arkansas
· Kansas
· Missouri
· Oklahoma
· Mountain West
· Colorado
· Idaho
· Montana
· New Mexico
· Utah
· Wyoming
· New England
· Connecticut
· Maine
· Massachusetts
· New Hampshire
· Rhode Island
· Vermont
· Southeast
· Alabama
· Florida
· Georgia
· Louisiana
· Mississippi
· Upper Midwest
· Iowa
· Minnesota
· Nebraska
· North Dakota
· South Dakota
· West
· Alaska
· Arizona
· Hawaii
· Nevada
· Oregon
· Washington
Christmas came early for one former employee when, on December 19, a Dallas jury awarded her a multimillion dollar verdict for a breach of an employment contract. Read on. Dem dry bones Andrea C. Avellan went to work at...
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has resumed operations after a prolonged period without a quorum, restoring its ability to decide cases and issue precedent. Yet the Board’s narrow composition, looming vacancies...
From pay transparency to remote work, employees are increasingly vocal about working conditions both in the office and online. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects employees—union and nonunion alike—when they...
Feb 01, 2026 · Employment Law Letter
· Great Lakes
· Illinois
· Indiana
· Michigan
· Ohio
· Wisconsin
· Midsouth
· Kentucky
· North Carolina
· South Carolina
· Tennessee
· West Virginia
· Southeast
· Alabama
· Florida
· Georgia
· Louisiana
· Mississippi
· West
· Alaska
· Arizona
· Hawaii
· Nevada
· Oregon
· Washington
In a new wave of lawsuits filed under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), four employers were sued during the recent holiday season for allegedly breaching ERISA fiduciary duties regarding their...
Feb 01, 2026 · Employment Law Letter
· Mid-Atlantic
· Delaware
· Maryland
· New Jersey
· Pennsylvania
· Virginia
· Midsouth
· Kentucky
· North Carolina
· South Carolina
· Tennessee
· West Virginia
· Midwest
· Arkansas
· Kansas
· Missouri
· Oklahoma
· Mountain West
· Colorado
· Idaho
· Montana
· New Mexico
· Utah
· Wyoming
· Upper Midwest
· Iowa
· Minnesota
· Nebraska
· North Dakota
· South Dakota
· West
· Alaska
· Arizona
· Hawaii
· Nevada
· Oregon
· Washington
The flu is spreading like wildfire! So, is a flu-caused absence protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? Calling out sick Here’s a typical scenario: Employee is off for four days. He calls in and says he...
Over the past year, I’ve responded to several “Notice of Payment Compliance Complaints” from the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA), the state agency responsible for enforcing Arizona wage payment compliance. These...
Here’s a case that presents retaliation basics in Texas. By basics, I mean what it is that you screen in looking for a way to dismiss a discrimination charge or a lawsuit. Let’s look at a few facts Kelli Smith worked as...
Words matter, and they matter a lot. As Mark Twain purportedly once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between a lightning bolt and a lightning bug.” So, I read with...
The new year, as always, brings with it new developments in labor and employment law. Likewise, the ever-growing labyrinth of state and local paid leave laws, including paid sick leave and family and medical leave laws...
Upgrade to a subscription now
to get unlimited access to everything on HR Laws.
Start subscription
to get unlimited access to everything on HR Laws.