Workplace Law Update: 10 Essential Items on Your June To-Do List

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Beat the heat. As temperatures rise, so do the stakes for employers as OSHA pushes for a stringent new heat rule. Learn more about the latest developments and how you can protect workers during the hottest months of the year.

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Refresh your grasp on child labor laws before hiring teens this summer. Youth employment typically grows during summer months – especially in the hospitality industry. Here are eight things you should know about hiring teens this season.

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File your EEO-1 report by June 4 – and avoid getting sued by the feds. In an unprecedented move, the EEOC just filed federal lawsuits against 15 employers in 10 states, alleging that they failed to file their mandatory EEO-1 reports and asking the court to order them to do so without delay. Click here to learn more, plus five steps you should take before the June 4 deadline.

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Get ready for Phase I of the new federal overtime rule. Starting July 1, the DOL’s salary threshold for the so-called “white-collar” exemptions from federal OT requirements will rise to $43,888 (and will jump to nearly $59k at the start of 2025). Make sure you determine if this change makes any of your salaried workers newly eligible for overtime pay and keep up with lawsuits seeking to block the rule. Here are 10 steps you can take to prepare and your top three questions about challenges to the rule.

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Prepare for the EEOC’s pregnancy accommodation rules to take effect on June 18. The agency’s new rule requires employers to accommodate applicants and workers who need time off or other modifications for an abortion procedure or recovery. While at least 19 states are asking courts to block the rule, you should plan to comply unless a court decides to halt it. Click here for the top eight things you need to know.

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Brace for the effects of OSHA’s new “walkaround rule” – but watch for updates. OSHA’s new final rule, effective May 31, may give labor unions an advantage in their organizing efforts. This rule is also being challenged in federal court by a coalition of business groups but remains in effect unless a court decides to halt it. Here are key employer FAQs about the new rule.

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Maximize how AI is used in the workplace. A new report revealed that most knowledge workers use AI for work purposes and most do so in secret. And federal leaders released guidance and proposals last month relating to AI in the workplace. Learn how to utilize your employees’ untapped AI skills and more about the White House’s recommended employer best practices and the Senate’s new AI roadmap.

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Don’t sleep on AI legislation at the state level. Colorado just enacted a landmark AI law that prohibits employers from using AI to discriminate against their workers. The sweeping new law is set to take effect in 2026 – and other states could follow suit. Click here for the law’s key points and why employers nationwide should take notice.

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Act now to comply with New York’s statewide mandate on paid lactation time. Starting June 19, New York employers must give nursing mothers paid break time to express breast milk – expanding the state’s current law requiring employers to give unpaid breaks for this purpose. Read more about the new law and other key updates for New York employers.

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Review workplace arbitration agreements in light of SCOTUS ruling. If your business is sued and the claims are subject to arbitration, you might hope for a court to dismiss the lawsuit. But a May 16 SCOTUS decision held that judges must pause court proceedings at a party’s request while the arbitration plays out. Click here for the key findings and four proactive steps you can take to ensure compliance with this latest development.