Hiring Tips Blog
Maine Revises Workplace Drug Testing Law
Maine has revised its workplace drug‑testing law to prohibit arbitrary testing and limit when employers may test applicants or employees. Beginning July 29, 2026, testing is allowed only through reasonable suspicion, criteria‑based testing, or neutral random…
Marijuana Rescheduling Begins: What Employers Need to Know About DOJ’s New Order
The DOJ’s order to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III begins a multi‑step regulatory process that will ease federal criminal penalties but does not legalize marijuana or change employers’ ability to maintain drug‑free workplace policies. Employers may still prohibit…
Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Law Update: Expanded Employer Authority and New Limits on Safety Sensitive Positions
Oklahoma’s 2026 amendments require employers to enforce zero‑tolerance drug and alcohol standards for all workers in safety‑sensitive positions, now defined strictly by listed job duties rather than employer judgment. Core protections for licensed medical‑marijuana…
New Jersey: Court Rules Police Officers Can’t Be Fired for Off-Duty Cannabis Use
Police officers’ off-duty use of cannabis is not grounds for termination, according to a decision issued by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division. Representatives from the Jersey City Police Department sought to uphold an officer’s firing,…
Safety Can’t Wait: ATA’s Push to Modernize Drug Testing Protocols
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is urging federal regulators to modernize workplace drug testing for commercial drivers by expanding the use of hair and oral fluid testing instead of relying mainly on urine tests. ATA argues current methods are vulnerable to…
DEA Clarifies That the Synthetic Cannabis Compound HHC Is Federally Banned, and Doesn’t Count as Legal Hemp
The DEA clarified that hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a synthetic cannabinoid often derived from hemp-based CBD, is federally illegal and classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. The agency said chemically converted cannabinoids do not qualify as legal hemp under…
ICE’s New I-9 Guidance Raises the Stakes for Routine Form Errors
ICE’s updated Form I‑9 inspection guidance significantly raises employer risk by reclassifying many previously “technical” errors — such as missing birth dates, incomplete Section 2 document details, or absent employer‑representative information — as substantive…
New Hires to Undergo E-Verify Check Under Passed Iowa Immigration Bill
An Iowa bill will require state agencies, local governments, and schools to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm that new employees are legally authorized to work in the U.S. The measure expands earlier policies and aligns with broader efforts to verify…
State Privacy Laws Show the SECURE Data Act’s Merits and Political Appeal
The SECURE Data Act reflects a bipartisan, state‑driven consensus on privacy. It rejects assumptions that stricter rules are inherently better, noting that most states favor flexible data‑minimization standards, centralized enforcement by the FTC and attorneys…
Privacy in Bloom: Four States Reshape the Data Protection Landscape This Spring
Four states are reshaping U.S. privacy law through new legislation and enforcement efforts. Oklahoma and Alabama enacted comprehensive consumer privacy laws, while Virginia banned the sale of precise geolocation data. California regulators also backed stronger…
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