Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives

On July 7, 2026, the Ninth Circuit heard oral argument over California Senate Bill 399 (“SB 399”), the state’s “captive audience” law, which prohibits employers from requiring employees to attend meetings on certain political or religious topics, including union-related issues.

Massachusetts employers received a meaningful reprieve this month when Governor Maura Healey’s proposal to tighten the Commonwealth’s noncompete statute was dropped from the state’s economic development legislation. 

Occupational heat is no longer just a workplace safety issue.  It is now a theory of boardroom liability.