Hunton Retail Law Resource

Every January, new California employment laws take effect and 2026 is no different, bringing changes to employment contracts, pay data reporting, paid family leave, and other employment-related topics. The following list highlights five new California employment laws for employers to be aware of in the year ahead.

On March 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced a new Director—Catherine Eschbach. In the announcement of her appointment, it noted she is expected to transition OFCCP to a new mission scope consistent with Executive Order 14173.

When developing a retail shopping center, landlords have a vision for what that shopping center will look like. This vision comes to life as the shopping center is leased up and tenants open for business. In order to preserve that vision, and ultimately the marketability of the shopping center, landlords will craft permitted use, prohibited use and exclusive use concepts into their leases to ensure that the shopping center occupants continue to operate in the shopping center throughout the term of their leases in accordance with the landlord’s vision.

We recently posted an article on Hunton’s Retail Law Resource blog regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to grant cert E.M.D. Sales, Inc. v. Carrera.  In that case, the Supreme Court is expected to clarify the burden of proof that employers must meet in order to prove that employees are exempt from the minimum wage and overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act.