A wave of new workplace laws is rolling out nationwide this summer. Some states now require salary ranges in job ads, limit noncompete agreements, ban forced employee microchipping, and expand workplace discrimination protections.
More than a dozen states enacted employment-related laws during the 2026 legislative cycle, with many taking effect in June and July, according to state legislatures, labor agencies, and governors’ offices.
On July 1, Virginia will see several significant changes as several laws take effect.
Under Senate Bill 215, employers must include wage or salary information in job postings and are prohibited from seeking or relying on an applicant’s wage history during the hiring process,
according to the Virginia General Assembly.
Virginia is also expanding protections under the
Virginia Human Rights Act. Beginning July 1, the law will apply to employers with five or more employees, lowering the threshold from 15.
The change extends state anti-discrimination protections to thousands of workers at small businesses who were previously not covered by the law.
The legislation also extends the deadline for filing discrimination complaints from 300 days to two years, according to Senate Bill 637.
Another Virginia law taking effect July 1 restricts the use of noncompete agreements for workers who are laid off.
Virginia’s new rule means employers can’t enforce noncompete or nonsolicitation agreements against most laid-off workers—unless they’re given severance pay or extra compensation.
Washington lawmakers also approved several major employment measures this year.
Washington
will raise penalties for wage theft and similar pay violations starting June 11. State investigators can now look into more cases, not just the first complaint, and there’s no longer a limit on fines for employers who break the law.
Washington also
enacted a law that prohibits employers from requiring workers or job applicants to undergo microchip implantation as a condition of employment. It takes effect June 11.
While workplace microchipping remains uncommon in the United States, the technology has been used voluntarily.
In 2017, Wisconsin-based technology company Three Square Market
announced that employees could voluntarily receive implanted microchips to access secured areas, log in to computers, and purchase items in company break rooms.
Washington’s new law prohibits employers from requesting, requiring, or coercing workers to undergo microchip implantation for employment purposes.
Washington also approved a sweeping ban on most noncompete agreements, effective June 30, 2027. Under House Bill 1155, employers must notify current and former employees that affected noncompete agreements are void and unenforceable.
Starting Dec. 12, most
New York employers will need to add an opioid overdose medication, called an opioid antagonist, to their workplace first-aid kits. This new requirement comes from Assembly Bill 2725 and aims to help address the ongoing opioid crisis and deaths.
Several other states approved laws addressing immigration, employee monitoring, and drug testing.
Starting June 5, Oregon employers can’t punish workers for updating their federal work authorization paperwork. The law aims to protect employees from being fired or disciplined for fixing or updating immigration documents.
Oregon’s HB 4111 also limits when an individual’s immigration status can be used as evidence in civil court cases, with few exceptions.
The law also adds immigration status to Oregon’s anti-profiling rules for law enforcement, banning police from targeting someone based on their immigration status.
Starting July 2026,
Maine employers must tell workers and job applicants if they use electronic monitoring at work. The law was signed in January, but doesn’t take effect until mid-July.
Maine is also changing its workplace drug testing rules. Starting July 29, "reasonable suspicion" will be the standard for testing. The change replaces the previous “probable cause” standard, meaning employers must point to specific, observable signs of impairment before requiring a test.
