Employee Handbook Best Practices in 2026

This CLE webinar will guide employment counsel on drafting or revising employee handbooks, taking into account the regulatory impact the Trump administration has had over the past year. Many topics contained in employee handbooks—such as employee leave, discrimination, sexual harassment, technology and social media, company confidentiality, employee privacy, and whistleblower/retaliation protection—are the subject of ongoing legal, regulatory, and judicial developments. Failure to take these and other recent changes into account can expose a company to liability. The panel will address recent developments in federal and state law that should be considered when drafting or revising employee handbooks.

Employment law is continually evolving, especially over the past year as the Trump administration changed direction in many key policy and regulatory matters (e.g., anti-DEI initiatives). So, employers (and their counsel) must regularly review and update their employee handbooks. An employer is not protected by handbook provisions that courts have struck down and regulators have nullified. This webinar will discuss recent federal and state employment law developments that practitioners should be aware of to mitigate their clients' risk.

With a thorough understanding of the latest legal developments impacting employee handbooks, along with careful and strategic drafting, employment counsel can help ensure that employee handbooks legally and effectively address complex and evolving workplace issues.

Employers must also consider intersecting leave issues related to state and federal regulations, especially given the increased number of states requiring paid leave, and clarify their policies and requirements for use.

Listen as our authoritative panel provides legal and practical guidance for employment counsel to structure employee handbooks—including multistate, nationwide, and global handbooks—that minimize liability risks for the employer based on the current legal climate.