Welcome to the AMIAS HR Legal Law Lowdown's ...

September 2025:

Your favorite HR superheroes are back with another thrilling episode of “We Protect You From Yourself.” Today’s feature: Nevada’s shiny new Child Labor Law Update (Assembly Bill 215) is effective October 1, 2025. Spoiler alert: Nevada has decided kids should not be pulling graveyard shifts and 60-hour weeks. Shocking, right? 

Bored: Here is the bill: [ASSEMBLY BILL 215]

Here’s the basic breakdown, AMIAS-style:

The Big Changes (a.k.a. No More Minors @ Midnight):

• Kids between 16–19 (who are still in school and not emancipated) can’t work between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on school nights. Because apparently, math class is hard enough without being a zombie.
• Weekly hours for these kiddos are capped at 40 hours. That’s right — no more pretending your high school cashier is your full-time assistant manager. Bluntly, NO OT. 
• Kids can now officially work as lifeguards, arcade employees, or theatrical performers. (So yes, Timmy can save lives at the pool, hand you tokens, and also star in Cats the musical.)
• If you violate the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act for minors (FYI – this is called the FLSA), Nevada says: “Yeah, that’s illegal here too.”

The Required Notice:

Employers must post an abstract (fancy HR word for “poster”) created by the Labor Commissioner, which will:

• Be available on the Commissioner’s website
• Come with a QR code, so employees can scan it while they’re pretending to look busy. Now, if you have us doing your HR you would know they aren’t allowed to be on their phones. It’s in the handbook. Duh.

What You Need To Do:

• Review your policies so you don’t accidentally schedule Bella the Barista until 2:00 a.m. before her chem exam.
• Train supervisors on these changes (translation: tell them to quit working kids like tired little elves). This means ALL your supervisors. 
• Stay tuned for the official poster - don't worry, you don’t have to design it. You just can’t forget about it.

Bottom Line: 

If you employ minors in Nevada, update your stuff before October 1, 2025. And if you don’t employ minors? Congrats, you just read this entire memo for the HR fun of it. You’re welcome. 

Partner with AMIAS HR today - we keep your workplace legal, functional, and slightly less ridiculous. 

- Michelle, tag … you’re it 🧡 [sent via email on 9/29/25]

September 2025:

Maverick called and Nevada answered. As of October 1, 2025, Assembly Bill 422 is in effect, which means if your employee moonlights as part of the Nevada Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (thank you for your service), you need to let them fly – literally. Forget ping-pong tournaments in the break room … your staff might be out saving lives. What does this mean for you? There is a new law. 

Bored? Read it here: [ASSEMBLY BILL 422]

Here’s the cockpit briefing:

• Up to 10 workdays off per year to train for emergency missions (because practice makes perfect when it comes to saving lives). Think of it as “HR Top Gun Academy.”
• Up to 30 workdays off per year to respond to the real deal. Search and rescue, disaster response, all the things that sound way cooler than sitting through another budget meeting.
• Employees must notify you, show they’ve got official clearance from the Air Force, Governor, or other Big Deal, and hand over a Civil Air Patrol verification slip. No, a sticky note won’t cut it or even a letter from mom.
• Employers cannot retaliate, yank their vacation first, or “forget” to keep their job, seniority, or benefits warm while they’re gone.

Translation from legalese to AMIAS-speak: If your employee is out playing real-life hero, don’t be the workplace villain. 

Your next move? Update your leave policies (yep it has to be added), train your managers (because you know someone’s going to ask, “Do I still approve their PTO request?”), and get comfortable with the fact that your leave compliance just grew some bad-ass wings. 

Welcome to the Danger Zone of HR ... cue the music. Don’t worry - we'll protect you from yourself. We can do all this for you … just reach out. This law isn’t a mayday call … it’s more like a friendly fly-by.

— Michelle, tag … you’re it 🧡 [sent via email on 9/30/25]

December 2025:

Well … Guess What?!? There’s a new law out there! To all our fabulous medical clients out there (and everyone out there who may need FMLA paperwork completed … like ever) … the 2025 Nevada Legislative Session gave us a new little gift: Assembly Bill 305, which says health care providers can’t charge more than $30 to complete that lovely FMLA certification form you’ve been chasing them for. That’s right – thirty bucks max. No ‘processing fee,’ no ‘doctor’s yacht fund.’  Just thirty bucks … or less. If your Doc’s office is super cool and they still do it for free.

Bored? Read it here: [ASSEMBLY BILL 305]

This law went live on October 1, 2025, and the NV Department of Health & Human Services may adjust that $30 each year depending on the Consumer Price Index (aka, how expensive coffee and everything else gets). If it changes, they’ll post the new number on their website, effective January 1st. Who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt through a government webpage?

The cap applies only to FMLA Certs & Recerts under 29 U.S.C. § 2613. So, if you’re asking for other medical paperwork – like ADA accommodations or RTW notes – those are still fair game for your employees’ wallets. Sorry folks. Bottom line: This doesn’t change those fun FMLA rules, but it does give employees one less reason to groan about the cost of getting that form signed. The norm seemed to be around $50 (and we have heard as high as $100), so winner winner chicken dinner. So, the next time someone balks at paying for their certification, you can politely say, “It’s capped, friend – thank you Las Vegas!”

Got questions, concerns, or need to translate this into HR-speak your employees might actually understand? Partner with AMIAS HR – we’ll help you navigate the legalese, sip our coffee, and make sure you don’t trip over the fine print.

— Michelle, tag … you’re it 🧡 [sent via email on 11/12/25]

October 2025:

Ah, California. They are at it again … shocker. Where the weather is perfect, avocado-toast is the norm, rent is absurd, and the employment laws change faster than a barista can spell your name wrong on a cup. Even Becky.

With a new year comes new rates. Starting January 1, 2026, California is raising its statewide minimum wage from $16.50 to $16.90/hour. Doesn't seem like much, but this small bump packs a punch – especially for employers trying to keep up with compliance, payroll, and whatever other drama is going down in that California breakroom.

Let’s break it down for y’all, AMIAS HR superhero style: 

Scene 1: Minimum Wage Goes Up ⬆️

• New statewide rate: $16.90/hour
• Bonus plot twist: Fast food and healthcare workers have their own higher minimum wages (part of the reason why you now have to do your own orders)
• Director’s note: If the city or county sets a higher wage, follow that. California loves a good subplot.

Translation: When in doubt, pay the higher rate. Your employees will thank you. The Labor Commissioner and the DOL may ignore you slightly less.

Oh – and yes, you will need a new set of labor law posters. Again. We’ll order these, so you don’t have to start googling “laminated compliance things.” We will make sure it checks the compliance check mark.

Scene 2: Exempt Salary Threshold Increases Too ⬆️

Got salaried folks labeled as “exempt”? Better be sure they pass the duties test & the salary test – for our non-HR folks this is otherwise that “no overtime” thing could come back to bite you in the ass. And it always does in California. Unsure what this is … you need to call us.

With the new minimum wage, exempt employees will need to earn at least $1,352 per week starting January 1, 2026. That’s roughly the cost of one tank of gas and a green juice in L.A. Want to know why if the hourly rate increases in CA the salary automatically increases? Reach out.

We are still waiting on California to release updated thresholds for computer professionals and physicians. Stay tuned – we’re expecting more plot twists at every turn. Dun, Dun … Dun.

Final Scene: What You Need to Do: 

• Pay at least $16.90/hour before January 1st 
• Pay at least $1,352/week for exempt folks before January 1st 
• Hang some new posters like your compliance depends on it (it does)
• Call us – seriously, we’ll protect you from yourself and help with all this California madness.

Lights, camera, compliance – the California sequel no one asked for but every employer has to star in. Don’t panic, we’ll handle the rewrites, the posters, and the legalese. All you have to do is reach out. Consider this less of a plot twist … and more of a happy ending. Roll credits.

— Michelle, tag … you’re it 🧡 [sent via email on 10/10/25]

October 2025:

Hello from the Mysterious Land of HR Mayhem – 

Once upon a time, employers could make employees pay back money for training if they quit early. Think of it like this: your boss sends you to “HR Hogwarts,” and if you left before graduation, you would owe them for the magic lessons.

Well, that’s changing. California just passed Assembly Bill 692 (and Nevada’s not far behind it’s in the works y’all), saying “nope” to most of these Training Repayment Agreement Provisions - or TRAPs, for short. A TRAP is when an employer makes you promise to pay back costs for some training, bonuses, or relocation if you leave too soon. It used to be legal (and sometimes fair), but too many dark wizards decided to use their powers for evil and keep people stuck in jobs. 

For years, that was totally legal. But too many companies started using TRAPs as, well… traps. Employees felt stuck, and regulators weren’t amused. So now, California just passed Assembly Bill 692, and Nevada is gearing up to follow suit my fellow muggles. Starting January 1, 2026, most TRAPs will be illegal in California unless they follow very specific (and complicated) rules. That is NOT code for yay, I get to still use them. Nevada is working on its own version, so employers … paying attention as well.

Bored? Accio Details! ⬇️ 

Bill Text | CA AB 692

So, what’s the big deal? Employers who ignore the new law(s) could face $5,000 fines per violation, pay employees’ attorney fees, and even star in their own Ministry of Magic drama – and not the fun kind.

Here’s what to do right now before your contracts get you in hot water:
➡ Review every employment agreement that includes any “pay-us-back-if-you-leave” language

➡ Review those lovely handbooks folks for the same lingo or versions of it
➡ Update your signing bonus and training repayment clauses to meet the new rules
➡ Call AMIAS HR before you accidentally commit an HR felony (kidding … mostly)

Questions? Confused? Slightly over it? Send it to AMIAS HR - we'll handle the legalese so you can get back to running your business or rewatching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Compliance.

— Michelle, tag … you’re it 🧡 [sent via email on 10/21/25]

December 2025:

Hello from the Slightly Chaotic Land of HR Reality Checks –

Once upon a time, employers kept their employee personnel files however they felt like it. One file, one folder, everything thrown together like a questionable charcuterie board. Well, this is for dramatic effect. By the way … it is still illegal. Performance reviews? In there. Medical notes? Sure. Form I-9. What is that? Training certificates? Why not. Total tossed salad. 

The federal government has long had rules and laws around personnel file handling, and now California has officially stepped it up a notch and said: “absolutely not. It’s not enough.” 

Enter CA Senate Bill 513, the law that quietly but very seriously changed the rules around your CA employee’s personnel files. As of January 1, 2026, California employers must now treat education and training records as formal personnel records under CA Labor Code §1198.5. Translation: if you train employees (and you do or at least you are legally required to do that), those records are now legally regulated and must be produced upon request. What?!? Yep.

And no – they cannot be scattered across emails, binders, in those baker boxes in the back room or on someone’s desktop labeled “Training Stuff – FINAL v7.” They have a very specific way in which they have to be labeled, saved and all that fancy crap. 

What’s new under CA SB 513?
Training and education records must now clearly show:
➡ Employee’s name
➡ Trainer or training provider
➡ Date & duration of training
➡ Core competencies learned (yes, software counts)
➡ Any certification or qualification earned

Still with us? Good – because the 30-day rule still applies. Employees (and former employees) have the right to inspect or receive copies of their personnel records within 30 calendar days of a written request. Former employees are limited to one request per year, so there’s that small mercy.

Why does this matter?
This isn’t a “nice HR upgrade.” This is a compliance mandate. Failing to properly maintain and produce these records can expose employers to penalties, legal fees, and regulatory headaches – aka things we know you do not have time for.

Also – this is the friendly reminder that most people don’t know: personnel files must be properly separated REGARDLESS OF STATE. Medical records, I-9s, personnel records, training documentation – these documents are not roommates. They do not cohabitate. They do not belong in the same tossed salad bowl. It is the law. Good news is, we got you boo. 

Bored: Here is the bill: [California Legislative Information | Senate Bill #513]

Well Crap! Now what? What to do now (before your files get subpoena-shamed):
➡ Audit your personnel files (and yes, all of them)
➡ Make sure training records include the required details
➡ Separate files properly instead of stacking everything together
➡ Fix gaps before an employee – or that overpriced attorney – asks for copies
➡ Call AMIAS HR so we can wrangle your files and keep you out of hot water. We can do all of this for you.

Questions? Confused? Realizing your files are, in fact, a salad? Send it to AMIAS HR. This is literally our thing – and we’re very good at it.

— Michelle, tag … you’re it 🧡 [sent via email on 12/31/25]

December 2025:

Hello from the Land of “Wait… Another Leave Law?”

Minnesota employers, buckle up. Minnesota’s NEW Paid Leave law officially kicks in January 1, 2026, and yep … it’s a big one. This requirement is governed by Minn. Stat. § 268B (Paid Family and Medical Leave). Basically, the law provides job protection and partial wage replacement for employees who need medical leave (up to 12 weeks) and family leave (up to 12 weeks), with a combined max of 20 weeks in a 12-month period. Nope, that is not a typo.

But wait – there’s more (because of course there is in the land of HR). If you have employees working in Minneapolis or Saint Paul, you also need to comply with recent updates to their Earned Sick and Safe Time ordinances, which now more closely align with the state law … with a few extra local twists just to keep things spicy.

Bored? Read Away: [Minnesota Paid Leave | Chapter 268B]

Need Some Additional Docs: [Minnesota Paid Leave | ER Toolkit]

Important heads-up deadlines:
➡ MN Workplace posters must be displayed (and in multiple languages if applicable) ⬆️
➡ By December 1, 2025, MN employees must receive individual written notice of Paid Leave benefits (if you haven’t done this already)
➡ New hires in MN after that date must receive notice within 30 days of hire

Why does this matter?
Policies, handbooks, payroll systems, and leave tracking all need to align – if they don’t, things can unravel quickly. Especially when state and city laws start overlapping like a bad Venn diagram. Plus, not to mention … the Cha-Ching.

What to do now?
Review your leave policies, update your handbook, make sure notices are handled correctly, and for the love of all things compliance – don’t just wing it. Don’t. Just don’t. 

Questions? Confused? Mildly overwhelmed? Send it to AMIAS HR. We’ll untangle the rules, keep you compliant, and help you avoid learning about this law the hard way.

— Michelle, tag … you’re it 🧡 [sent via email on 12/31/25]

January 2026:

Hello lovely humans,

For those of you who don’t know … Colorado has as state paid leave program. Weeee! Colorado FAMLI is the state’s paid leave program – passed in 2020 and went live as of January 1, 2024 – that gives eligible employees paid time off for medical needs, bonding with a new child, or caring for a family member (because Colorado doesn’t believe in “figure it out on your own”). 

Why the update?

Colorado’s FAMLI program is changing (yet, again) effective January 1, 2026, and before your eyes glaze over or you pretend this doesn’t apply to you – it does if you are living the High-Life in Colorado. So, let’s break it down in plain English, AMIAS-style. Colorado expanded FAMLI in a few meaningful ways, tweaked the premium rate, and clarified how employers can (and absolutely cannot) coordinate FAMLI with other leave benefits. Translation: this affects your payroll, your leave policies, and your “wait … can we do that?” moments.

• First big change - NICU leave just got bigger: Employees caring for an infant in the NICU may now qualify for up to an additional 12 weeks of FAMLI leave – on top of the standard FAMLI allotment. That’s potentially up to 24 weeks total. Yep, you read that correctly. This NICU leave is its own thing and does not reduce bonding leave once the baby comes home. Yes, Colorado is serious about supporting families – and yes, this means those policies need updating.

• Next - your FAMLI premium rate is dropping (but only slightly): For 2026, the premium rate goes from 0.9% to 0.88% of wages. Is it life-changing? No. Is it still something payroll needs to apply correctly? Absolutely. Heads up: Colorado will now set the rate annually, and it can change year to  year.

• Now for the part that trips employers up: You may require employees to use FAMLI before accessing certain employer-provided benefits (like short-term disability) if your policy allows it. However – and this is important – you cannot require employees to use FAMLI before accessing legally required leave, such as FMLA or Colorado’s paid sick leave. In short: sometimes yes, sometimes no, and policy language matters more than ever.

• One more IRS wrinkle (because of course there is): Beginning in 2026, some FAMLI medical leave benefits (not family leave) will be treated as taxable wages for federal purposes, meaning employers with 10+ employees may owe their portion of FICA and FUTA. Colorado state income tax? Still a no. Simple, right? (enter the HR sarcasm … wink wink)

Bored? Read Away:  [Colorado | Senate Bill 25-144]

Need Some Additional Info:  [Colorado FAMLI | Rules & Guidance]

Bottom line:
If you have employees in Colorado, this is your sign to review your leave policies, payroll practices, and manager training – again people, not after something breaks. Let’s try to be proactive. 

If your reaction right now is “Cool cool cool … I’m going to need help with this,” that’s literally what we’re here for. AMIAS HR can walk you through what applies to your business, clean up your policies, and keep you compliant without the panic or all that fun legal mumbo jumbo.

Reach out to AMIAS HR if you want the full breakdown, policy updates, or just someone to say “yes, you’re doing this right.” We got you boo.

— Michelle, tag … you’re it 🧡 [sent via email on 01/06/26]