Description
Overview
Employee handbooks are one of the most important compliance tools employers have — but also one of the most misunderstood. Each year, changes in federal, state, and local employment laws require employers to update their handbooks to avoid costly legal mistakes. As we approach 2026, new regulations, workplace trends, and court decisions are reshaping what must be included.
This webinar provides a clear, practical guide to the critical mistakes employers make when updating employee handbooks and outlines the mandatory 2026 policy updates needed to stay compliant and protect the organization.
Description
In this session, you’ll discover the most common handbook errors that expose employers to lawsuits, penalties, and employee claims — often without them realizing it. We will walk through the must-have policies for 2026, including updates related to remote/hybrid work, AI use, EEOC requirements, wage and hour changes, leave laws, discrimination protections, and more.
Attendees will learn how to structure a legally sound and practical handbook, avoid conflicting policies, and ensure consistent enforcement.
The session includes examples of compliant policies, what to avoid, and how to prepare your organization for annual reviews going forward.
Why you should attend
- Learn thefatal mistakesemployers commonly make when updating handbooks.
- Understand the2026 legally required policy updatesyou must implement.
- Reduce legal risk by ensuring policies are consistent, up to date, and enforceable.
- Protect your organization from discrimination, harassment, wage/hour, and leave law violations.
- Clarify the essential policies for remote/hybrid work, cybersecurity, and AI use.
- Learn how to align your handbook with evolving EEOC, DOL, FLSA, OSHA, NLRB, and state requirements.
- Gain tools to perform an annual handbook audit with confidence.
Who will benefit
This webinar is essential for professionals responsible for compliance, HR, and policy development, including:
- HR Managers & Generalists
- Compliance Officers
- Business Owners & Executives
- Supervisors & Department Managers
- Employee Relations Specialists
- In-House Legal Staff
- Consultants & Office Managers
- Anyone involved in drafting or maintaining employee handbooks
Areas covered
- Using outdated policies and old templates
- Missing required federal or state-mandated language
- Policies that contradict actual practices
- Overly broad or unenforceable wording
- Failing to include disclaimers and at-will statements
- Neglecting multi-state compliance issues
- Remote/hybrid work guidelines and digital conduct rules
- Wage and hour updates under FLSA and state law
- AI & technology use policies (new 2026 compliance expectations)
- Anti-discrimination, harassment, and accommodation updates
- EEOC’s latest guidance and protected class expansions
- Leave law expansions (FMLA, paid sick leave, state-specific requirements)
- Data privacy & cybersecurity policies
- Social media and electronic communication standards
- Dress code & workplace conduct
- Attendance and scheduling rules
- Progressive discipline and performance documentation
- Safety and OSHA compliance
- Confidentiality and non-retaliation statements
- What to review quarterly vs. annually
- Working with legal counsel vs. internal HR review
- Tools and checklists for accurate policy updates
- How to communicate new policies to employees
- Obtaining acknowledgment forms
- Ensuring consistent enforcement
- Avoiding contradictions with job descriptions, contracts, or practices.
Meet your speaker
Ronald Adler
Ronald Adler is the President-CEO of Laurdan Associates, Inc., a veteran-owned, human resource management consulting firm specializing in HR audits, employment practices liability risk management, HR metrics and benchmarking strategic HR-business issues and unemployment insurance issues. Mr. Adler has more than 39 years of HR consulting experience working with U.S. and international firms, small businesses and non-profits, printers, insurance companies and brokers, and employer organizations.
Mr. Adler is an internationally recognized thought leader on HR auditing and is the developer the Employment-Labor Law Audit™ (ELLA®), the nation’s leading HR auditing and employment practices liability risk assessment tool. He is an adjunct professor at Villanova University’s Graduate Program in Human Resources Development and teaches courses on HR auditing and HR management. He is also a certified instructor for the CPCU Society and conducts courses on employment practices liabilities.
Ronald has served on two national task forces developing professional standards in human capital measurement and performance management. He is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors and also a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and serves as a subject matter expert (SME) to SHRM on HR metrics and workplace issues.
He is a member of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and chairs the Chamber’s unemployment insurance subcommittee. Mr. Adler has also been a member of the U.S. Chamber and its Labor Relations Committee.
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