As 2025 comes to a close, employers across the country should be thinking about what employment laws impose new or heightened compliance requirements for 2026.
As 2025 comes to a close, employers across the country should be thinking about what employment laws impose new or heightened compliance requirements for 2026. Compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) is no exception and employers should be mindful of OSHA-related enforcement topics that are likely to be a priority in 2026. Companies should take the opportunity to get a head start on updating health and safety related policies, trainings, and processes as OSHA resumes business as usual in the aftermath of the recent federal government shutdown.
Predicted OSHA Enforcement Priorities for 2026
Heat Safety – On August 30, 2024, OSHA published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings, evidencing an increased interest in this area. Until this rule was proposed, OSHA has relied on the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act when issuing heat-related citations. While the specific language remains subject to change, the proposed heat regulations would apply to all employers conducting outdoor and indoor work in all general industry, construction, maritime, and agriculture sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction. It would require employers to create a plan to evaluate and control heat hazards in the workplace, with the...
Donald Trump posted a wild set of false and misleading claims about today's Minnesota ICE shooting in a bid to distract attention from the incident. Video of the incident showed at least five agen...