In 2026, employers must navigate a rapidly changing regulatory landscape and varying state laws, making proactive compliance planning vital for managing risk and enhancing workforce experience, with early investment in monitoring set to help organizations adapt.
Employers will continue to face increasing state and local legal requirements in 2026. New rules span employee leave, artificial intelligence (AI), background checks, wage and hour requirements, discrimination protections, employee notices, pay data reporting, pay transparency, workplace safety and more.
This blog post provides a clear, state-by-state breakdown of 48 HR compliance changes for 2026, helping employers understand what is changing (or has changed), where and when. It's designed to be a useful starting point as you continue to refine your compliance and people strategies for 2026. It's not an exhaustive list of all such laws and does not, for example, include minimum wage and minimum salary increases.
California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington
Washington, March 14 US President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at stopping fraudulent claims that products ... Washington, March 14 US President Donald Trump signed an executive ord...