Some Ohio construction businesses may need to prepare now for upcoming changes to state law imposing new requirements related to verifying worker eligibility.
Ohio E-Verify Law Set to Impose New Requirements on Construction Industry (US)
After Months of Anticipation, The FCA Releases Its Guidance on Non-Financial Misconduct
On 12 December, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) finally issued its official response to the public consultation on non-financial misconduct (NFM). This was issued through a Policy Statement PS25/23, finalising new binding regulatory rules and accompanying official guidance on NFM.
The Policy Statement
79 respondents contributed to the consultation, including Squire Patton Boggs. At long last, we have the final rules and guidance, which will be binding on all FCA-regulated firms from 1 September 2026. Or so we thought…
Handling Investigations in a Global Workplace
A concern has been raised to the HR hotline. An employee reports that her manager has been bullying her. She alleges that he has been repeatedly rude to her in team meetings, talking over to her and down to her. She feels belittled and she thinks this may be happening because she is the only woman in the team. She would like this matter to be investigated and then her manager to be dismissed.
“What’s new?”, you might be thinking. Sadly, this is the sort of complaint that employment lawyers and HR practitioners come across all the time. But in this example, the UK employee works in the organisation’s Global Sales Team and her manager is based in Germany. The Sales team are scattered across all continents and those team meetings take place on Teams.
In highly-matrixed multi-nationals with cross-functional teams working across countries and regions, this is not an unusual scenario. A global work environment has implications for investigation procedure, timelines, evidence gathering and the information that must be shared (or not) with parties involved. While there are some initial constraints (overt impartiality, necessary language skills, an understanding of what specifically is in issue with factually and legally, etc.), it gets more complicated very quickly. Careful planning is therefore essential.
Here are our top 5 key issues to consider before you commence the investigation:
Belgium’s action plan to combat long-term absence requires employers to take action too
In previous blogs, we have mentioned how Belgium is high up in the ranks of countries with employees on long-term absence, and how our new(ish) government wants to tackle this national disease on different fronts.
The first chapter of this ambitious plan came into force on 1 January 2026. We have summarised the changes below, starting with the one that has a concrete call to action for employers:
Back in Business: New NLRB Members and General Counsel Sworn In (US)
For nearly a year, the National Labor Relations Board has lacked a quorum of at least three confirmed members, and thus it has been unable to decide cases arising under the National Labor Relations Act, including unfair labor practice disputes and contested union representation cases. That ended on January 7, 2026, when two President Trump nominees – James Murphy and Scott Mayer – were sworn in as NLRB members following their recent Senate confirmation. Members Murphy and Mayer join Member David Prouty, a President Biden appointee who was the sole NLRB member for the past six months. Member Murphy’s term runs through December 2027; Member Mayer’s term runs through December 2029. Although one of new Members will be designated Chairman of the NLRB, no announcement on that designation has yet been made.
Trump v. Slaughter and the Potential Impact on Agency Independence (US)
The United States Supreme Court recently heard oral argument in Trump v. Slaughter, a case centering on the March 2025 removal of Rebecca Kelly Slaughter as Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”). As the court deliberates, a decision in favor of the government could limit or overturn Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (“Humphrey’s Executor”) and reshape the operation of independent federal agencies.
US State Law Roundup
State and local legislatures were active throughout 2025 in passing employment laws and ordinances concerning topics such as artificial intelligence, pay transparency, and paid leaves, to name a few. As always, minimum wages continue to increase in many jurisdictions and various posters have been updated. See our charts on U.S. state minimum wage and salary threshold developments located here and here.
Colorado Provides First of Its Kind Paid Neonatal Care Leave: What Employers Need to Know for January 1, 2026 Effective Date (US)
Earlier this year, Colorado adopted Senate Bill 25-144, expanding its Family and Medical Leave Insurance (“FAMLI”) program to become the first state to provide paid leave for employees taking care of an infant hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (“NICU”).
NLRB Regains Its Quorum, Paving the Way for Renewed Board Action (US)
The National Labor Relations Board is set to regain a quorum of three Members following the Senate’s confirmation of Board nominees Scott Mayer and James Murphy on December 18, 2025. Mr. Mayer is joining the Board from a large aviation manufacturing company, where he served as chief labor counsel. Mr. Murphy is a former Board lawyer. Both are set to join David Prouty, who has been the sole member on the Board since former Chairman Marvin Kaplan’s term expired this past August. With the confirmation of the two new Board members, the Board will now be comprised of a majority of Republican appointees, with Member Prouty being the sole Democrat on the Board.
US Immigration Vetting Initiatives, Expanded Travel Bans, Social Media Mining, ESTA “Selfies” and More
In response to the horrific November attack on National Guard members in Washington, D.C. and other geopolitical events, the President and U.S. immigration agencies have implemented initiatives and rolled out proposals to expand existing travel bans and dramatically increase vetting and personnel data collection of visa applicants and travelers entering and exiting the United States. The following is a brief summary of these impactful policies.
