Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives

S.B. 642, the Pay Equity Enforcement Act, brings significant changes to California’s pay transparency and pay discrimination laws. Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 8, the law takes effect January 1, 2026, and is poised to reshape employer obligations statewide.

Contracts issued subject to the Service Contract Act (“SCA”—also known as the Service Contract Labor Standards) require contractors and subcontractors to, among other things, pay an hourly health and welfare benefit specified in an applicable Wage Determination (“WD”). The Department of Labor (“DOL”) issues an updated health and welfare benefit amount annually, which is subsequently incorporated into revised WDs.

Earlier this month, two of President Donald Trump‘s key National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) nominees inched closer to office. A majority of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) voted in favor of NLRB Board Member nominee, James Murphy, and NLRB General Counsel nominee, Crystal Carey.

Hunton’s OSHA lawyers will provide an update on the status of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) under the Trump administration. The discussion will include the status of current rulemaking, DOGE’s impact on OSHA operations, enforcement trends, and state plan developments.

On September 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued opinion letters addressing issues relating to tip pooling, joint employment, and regular rate of pay calculation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued a significant ruling for employers facing Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) collective actions.