The following states have labor law updates scheduled to take effect in November 2026:
There are no federal labor law updates scheduled for November 2026. However, below is a list of more recent labor law posting updates and requirements since October 2nd.
Employers should note that many state and local minimum wage updates are scheduled for January 2027. To get a full breakdown of current and upcoming rates, check out this state minimum wage chart.
California employers should be aware of the following updates to compliance requirements as of November 2026:
California’s prohibition on “stay or pay” clauses in employment contracts has been temporarily suspended.
Although the law originally took effect on January 1st, 2026, recent amendments took place on September 30th, delaying its application until January 1st, 2027. As a result, the new law will now apply to contracts entered into on or after January 1st, 2027, regardless of employer size.
The recent amendments also added exceptions for arrangements such as grants and retention bonuses.
California's new Bereavement Leave Law (SB 1149) was signed on September 27th, 2026, and goes into effect January 1st, 2027.
The update still provides eligible employees with up to five days of bereavement leave following the death of a "designated person" (such as a blood relative or someone with a family-equivalent relationship). To be eligible for the leave, employees must be employed for at least 30 days before taking leave, and leave must be taken within 3 months of the death
The most recent change allows employers to limit employees to one designated person per 12-month period.
Maryland employers should be aware of the following updates to compliance requirements as of October 2026:
Signed into law on April 28, 2026, the Maryland Worker Freedom Act (SB 417) went into effect on October 1st, 2026.
Employers are required provide notice to each employee upon hire and post it where employee notices are customarily displayed.
The state model notice is now available to employers.
New York employers should be aware of the following updates to compliance requirements as of November 2026:
The new Personnel Records Law went into effect on November 8th, 2026. The law gives current and former public- and private-sector employees expanded rights to view, copy, and dispute their personnel files.
Employees may request a free copy of their personnel record up to twice per calendar
year and must receive it within five business days of a written request.
Employees must also be notified within 10 days when negative information affecting their job, pay, promotion, or discipline is added. A review due to this information does not count toward the twice-per-year limit.
Lastly, employers must keep complete personnel records during employment and for three
years after separation.
Check out a full breakdown on New York Labor Laws by visiting this article for information.
New York's unemployment insurance system was shut down for a major cloud-based platform upgrade on November 2nd, 2026, at 5:00 PM. The update is expected to take 9 to 12 days.
The goal of the update is to replace outdated technology and make filing and managing unemployment claims easier and more efficient.
The new system will allow individuals to file claims, certify for benefits, upload documents, and track claim statuses online, including from mobile devices. Employers will also benefit from improved account management, streamlined reporting, and easier access to unemployment insurance information.
New York has updated its law prohibiting “stay or pay” agreements and postponed its effective date to December 19th, 2026. The law applies to employers of all sizes.
The law, originally passed on February 13th, 2026, prohibits most agreements that require employees to pay the employer if their employment ends before a certain amount of time.
Oklahoma employers should be aware of the following updates to compliance requirements as of November 2026:
HB 3127 was signed April 17th, 2026, and went into effect November 1st, 2026, creating new requirements and regulations around expanding employer authority regarding drug and alcohol testing.
Employers must apply a zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy to applicants and employees of safety-sensitive positions. The law does not define “zero tolerance,” but such policies often mandate adverse action without exception when someone possesses, uses, tests positive for, or is impaired by substances at work.
Safety-sensitive positions now qualify based on high-risk duties identified in the law, such as handling hazardous materials, operating vehicles or machinery, or providing patient or child care. The list is not exhaustive, so similar duties may also qualify. Previously, any position could qualify if the employer reasonably believed its duties could affect health or safety.
Employers with a lawful written drug testing policy may take adverse action based solely on a positive cannabis test. Previously, adverse action was allowed only if the individual lacked a medical cannabis license, consumed or possessed cannabis at work, or held a safety-sensitive position.
Utah employers should be aware of the following updates to compliance requirements as of November 2026:
The deadline for general acute and specialty hospitals to imlpement a comprehensive reporting and tracking system for workplace violence incident reporting was November 1st, 2026.
Hospitals must collect and record data for every voluntarily reported incident, including:
Data must be reported quarterly to the hospital's chief medical officer and chief nursing officer, and all records must be retained for at least two years. Then, every year hospitals are required to submit their annual workplace violence incident data to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) using the DHHS Workplace Violence Incident Report Form.
Vermont employers should be aware of the following updates to compliance requirements as of November 2026:
On November 3, 2026, Vermont voters approved Proposal 3, the Right to Collective Bargaining Amendment, adding protections for collective bargaining rights to the state's constitution.
The amendment guarantees employees the right to organize, join labor unions, and collectively bargain over wages, working conditions, and other employment-related matters. It also prohibits the state from passing laws that interfere with or diminish these rights.
Although collective bargaining rights were already protected under existing laws, the amendment strengthens those protections by making them part of Vermont's constitution, making them more difficult for future lawmakers to weaken or eliminate.
The following chart breaks down recent labor law poster and notice updates by state. Employers in these states need to check and ensure their posters are up-to-date.
| State | Name | Effective Date | Type |
| Connecticut | Pay Notification | 10.22.26 | Notice |
| Hawaii | Employment Discrimination | 10.16.26 | Poster |
| Hawaii | Unemployment Insurance Law | 10.16.26 | Poster |
| Hawaii | Hawaii Form TDI-45 (Claim for Disability Benefits) | 10.28.26 | Notice |
| Hawaii | Warn Act Notice re Dislocated Workers/ Plants Closings | 10.28.26 | Notice |
| Illinois | Drug Free Workplace Act | 10.26.26 | Poster + Notice |
| Kansas | Warn Act Notice | 10.26.26 | Notice |
| Louisiana | Workers' Compensation | 10.09.26 | Poster |
| Maine | Employer Surveillance Notice | 10.26.26 | Notice |
| Maryland | Minimum Wage | 10.13.26 | Poster |
| Maryland | Earned Sick and Safe Leave Policy | 10.27.26 | Notice |
| Massachusetts | First Report of Injury | 10.27.26 | Notice |
| Oklahoma | Public Employee Job Safety and Health Protection | 10.23.26 | Poster |
| Rhode Island | Notice of Right to be Free From Discrimination Because of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Related Conditions | 10.21.26 | Poster + Notice |
| Rhode Island | Discrimination is Illegal | 10.21.26 | Poster |
| Vermont | Unemployment Insurance | 10.29.26 | Poster |
| Wyoming | Warn Act Notice-Mass Layoff or Business Closure | 10.26.26 | Notice |
| Washington | Your Rights as a Worker in Washington State | 10.28.26 | Poster |
Learn more about a labor law poster subscription service if you need help with workplace posters and notice compliance.
Looking for more updates? View Last Month's Compliance Update Here.
The challenge with frequent labor law updates is the posting requirement updates that come with each change to the laws in your state, and on the federal level.
However, employers can stay ahead of the changes with this labor law poster service, which makes meeting requirements easy and practically hands-off.
The challenge with frequent labor law updates is the posting requirement updates that come with each change to the laws in your state, and on the federal level.
However, employers can stay ahead of the changes with this labor law poster service, which makes meeting requirements easy and practically hands-off.
Give us some basic information about yourself and your business goals, and we'll find a provider who is customized to your unique business situation, be it industry, locale, etc.
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