HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!

Ep147: Planning for Employment Law Changes in 2026 - Pt 1

John Thalheimer, MS Org Leadership and Chuck Simikian, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Episode 147

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Part 1 - The start of the year is bringing a lot of uncertainty for those in HR. We are expecting a lot of change from a federal level and are waiting to see what the impact will be. Listen to what Chuck and John suggest you keep an eye out for as we head into the start of the year with the following topics:

  • Changes to independent contractor statuses may be leading companies to hiring as temp employees
  • Minimum wage rules are no longer uniform, causing some HR teams to be caught off guard. It’s never been more important to be aware of your state and local laws to make sure you’re not caught in a lawsuit.
  • AI is here and you need to be ready to use it right and avoid system biases.
  • Pay transparency is becoming a more common requirement and you need to be ready for the potential ripple effects through your organization.

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The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.