Welcome to Issue #4 of The Compliance Brief. Every Tuesday I break down the HR and labor law updates that actually matter to small businesses — in plain English, no legal jargon.

Federal Overtime Rules Just Reset — Check Your Exempt Employees Now

The Department of Labor has restored the 2019 overtime salary thresholds. That means the federal minimum salary for an exempt employee is back to $684 per week ($35,568 per year). The highly compensated employee threshold is $107,432.

If you have salaried employees you've been treating as exempt, now is the time to verify they meet both the salary test AND the duties test. Getting this wrong is one of the most common — and costly — wage violations the DOL finds.

Action step: Pull up your exempt employee list this week. For each person, confirm their salary is at least $35,568 annually and that their actual job duties qualify them as executive, administrative, or professional under FLSA rules.

1. EEOC may eliminate EEO-1 reporting

The EEOC proposed on May 14 to rescind EEO-1 reporting requirements. This is still a proposal — not final. Keep filing and keep your data ready until the rule is officially changed. If you're unsure whether EEO-1 applies to you, it generally covers employers with 100+ employees.

2. EEOC voided its 2024 harassment guidance

The EEOC scrapped its 2024 workplace harassment guidance earlier this year. Your anti-harassment obligations haven't changed — but the agency's interpretation of them has shifted. Review your harassment policy to make sure it reflects current legal standards.

3. 2026 minimum wages — know your state's rate

Several states are well above the federal $7.25 minimum. Key 2026 rates: California $16.90, Washington $17.13, Connecticut $16.94, New Jersey $15.92, New York $16.00, Colorado $15.16. If you have employees in multiple states, each location must be paid at the highest applicable rate.

✅ Check every exempt employee's salary against the $35,568 annual threshold

✅ Verify exempt employees also meet the duties test — salary alone is not enough

✅ Check your state's 2026 minimum wage rate — especially if you have multi-state employees

✅ Review your harassment policy — make sure it reflects current legal standards

OSHA's free On-Site Consultation Program — confidential, no penalties, designed specifically for small businesses. OSHA sends a consultant to help you identify hazards and build a safety program before an inspector does it for you.

Find it at osha.gov — search "On-Site Consultation Program."

That's it for this week. Short, actionable, no fluff.

If this was useful, forward it to another small business owner who could use it.

See you next Tuesday.

The Compliance Brief thecompliancebriefhq.com

This is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.