Federal Rules, State Action Complicate In-House Labor Strategies

Labor and employment issues will take significant bandwidth for in-house lawyers as federal agencies race to finalize rules ahead of the presidential election and states take varied approaches with new laws affecting the workplace.

While Biden administration regulators update nationwide requirements for things like overtime and anti-discrimination protections, state and local lawmakers are stitching together a patchwork of mandates for paid leave, pay transparency, and noncompete agreements.

Failing to comply with this slew of rapidly changing requirements carries a high risk of financial and reputational damage that in-house counsel seek to avoid for their companies.

“The number-one thing that keeps ...