SHIFT HR Compliance Brief: Workplace Legislation & Training Updates - January 2026

How Employers Should Think About Workplace Compliance in Early 2026

SHIFT HR Compliance Brief: Workplace Legislation and Training Updates is a new series from SHIFT HR Compliance Training, the only workplace training company founded by employment attorneys. We created this brief to help employers make sense of what’s changing, what’s being discussed, and what’s worth paying attention to in the evolving world of workplace compliance.

Each update highlights recent and proposed legislation, regulatory activity, and compliance-related developments, translating them into practical considerations for employers. Our goal is to provide context and insight, not predictions or legal advice, so organizations can better understand potential impact areas and make informed decisions about training, policies, and workplace practices.

In This Issue:

- Why workplace legislation continues to evolve
- States advancing healthy workplace and bullying legislation
- Massachusetts’ proposed expansion of anti-harassment training requirements
- New Jersey’s legislative pause as litigation risk remains
- California’s SB 553 shifts focus to training execution
- What these January 2026 updates mean for employers