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Written for the people who run payroll
No legal memo to decode. Each story is a few short paragraphs ending in a “What to do” line.
What to doAt the end of every story
COMPLIANCE WATCH · FREE EMAIL BRIEFING
Compliance news for operators.
The HR, payroll, and benefits rules that changed, what they mean for your business, and what to do next. Written in plain English, with a link to the official source for each story. Subscribing is free.
What each issue covers.
Each issue rounds up the employment, payroll, and benefits rules that moved since the last one. Every story says what changed, when it takes effect, and what an employer should do about it.
SOURCED DIRECT
Every story links to its source
We cite the official source (the DOL, IRS, EEOC, or the state agency) whenever one exists, so you can read the rule yourself and pass it to your team.
Official sourcesLinked in every story
STATUS AT A GLANCE
Every story labeled with its status
Each story is labeled in effect, action needed, effective on a date, or in progress, and every issue opens with a table of the dates to know.
4 statusesPlus a dates-to-know table
FEDERAL AND STATE
Federal, California, and other states
Federal and California changes get full stories. Other states get short summaries, and quick hits cover the smaller items worth knowing about.
Federal + stateFull stories, then short summaries
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FOR ANY EMPLOYER
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Clients and non-clients get the same issue. Nothing in it assumes you work with us or operate in a particular state.
Same issueFor clients and non-clients
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Inside an issue
A story from Issue 01
Compliance Watch
Issue 01 · September 11, 2026
Federal
DOL: a mid-day commute the employee asked for is not paid time
Under a July 22 DOL opinion letter, a nonexempt employee who chooses to work from home, go to the office later, and return home to finish the day generally does not have to be paid for that commute if no work is done while driving.
Driving between job sites is still paid time, and state law may differ.
What to do: Check how you record split-day schedules for hourly employees. The commute itself is unpaid, but every minute worked at home before and after it is paid and counts toward overtime.
U.S. Department of Labor opinion letter FLSA2026-9 (PDF, opens in a new tab) · July 22, 2026
From our desk
Why seven unpaid minutes before a shift can cost years of back pay
Minutes worked before a paid shift starts are wages. Here is how the back pay is calculated and how to stop it.
HOW WE PUT IT TOGETHER
Built from the agency’s own notice.
Each issue starts with a scan of federal agency feeds, employment-law firm updates, and HR and benefits trade press. We check each change against the official notice, write it up in plain English, and ask one question of every story: what should an employer do about this?
Our HR team reviewed and approved the wording of Issue 01. When a rule is only proposed, we say so.
Ties back to the services that apply the rules.
Compliance Watch is the same research our own teams use. For clients, a rule change becomes work for the team that owns it.
Wage-hour, leave, and handbook changes go to the HR team that maintains client policies.
State tax, local rate, and wage-threshold changes go to the payroll team that runs client payrolls.
Workplace-safety rules go to the team that runs safety and compliance training.
FAQ
Compliance Watch questions readers ask us
Yes. No cost and no paywall. Every email has an unsubscribe link.
Our team drafts each issue from the official sources. Our HR team reviewed and approved the wording of Issue 01.
A table of dates to know, then federal and California stories, short summaries for other states, and quick hits. Each story is labeled in effect, action needed, effective on a date, or in progress, and ends with what to do.
Federal agency feeds (the DOL, OSHA, EEOC, NLRB, IRS, and the Federal Register), employment-law firm updates, and HR and benefits trade press. Each story cites the official government source whenever one exists.
No. Clients and non-clients get the same issue.
Get the next issue by email.
It’s free, and you can unsubscribe from any email.