Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute Releases 2026 Labor Day Report

WASHINGTON (September 8, 2026) – Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute® (WPI®) – the government relations and public policy arm of Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management – has released its 2026 Labor Day Report. Now in its ninth edition, the report provides an update on the top workplace trends impacting employers in 2026.

“Employers have adjusted to a new normal in the second year of the second Trump administration, and there is more change on the horizon,” said Shannon Meade, WPI’s executive director, and WPI co-chairs Alex MacDonald and Jim Paretti in a joint statement. “With quorums reinstated at the NLRB and EEOC, and midterm elections poised to further shift the labor and employment law landscape, employers may have even more to contend with heading into 2027.”

This year’s report examines key issues facing employers as federal agencies gain momentum and workplace policies evolve, including immigration policies impacting the workplace and work travel, legislation like the Faster Labor Contracts Act and American Franchise Act, the rise of state level paid leave laws, and state regulation of AI. The report is divided into the following sections: 

• U.S. Department of Labor Proceeds with Active Rulemaking Itinerary
• OSHA’s Proposed Rule for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention – Yes, it’s Still On
• More than a Quorum at the NLRB
• Bipartisan, Bicameral Labor Reform Efforts Happening on Capitol Hill
• With a Restored Quorum, a Re-Empowered EEOC Moves Aggressively to Advance Administration’s Agenda
• Employers Continue to Face Heightened Enforcement of Evolving Worksite Immigration Rules
• Legislation Advances to Protect Franchise Business Model
• States Continue to Regulate AI in the Absence of Federal Action
• Absent Federal Action, States Continue the Expansion of Paid Family and Medical Leave Laws
• Events at the ILO Complicate the Compliance Picture for Multinational Firms

In addition to Meade, Paretti and MacDonald, the report was authored by shareholders Jorge Lopez and Joy Rosenquist; and senior counsels Peter Vassalo and Felicia Watson. 

View the full report

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About Littler WPI

WPI advocates for employers on a global scale. Working closely with businesses and trade associations, WPI serves as a strong voice for employers and their workplaces to navigate real-time changes in employment and labor law, while influencing the legislation of tomorrow. By harnessing Littler’s global depth of knowledge and expansive resources for tracking emerging issues that affect the workplace, WPI brings employers’ interests to the forefront of today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.