JAN 2026, Vol 23, Issue 1

Update Your Handbook to Include Delaware PFLA

If you haven’t already done so, you should update your handbook to include Delaware’s Paid Family Leave. It should include information on eligibility, leave types, benefit duration, benefit amount, and application procedures effective January 1, 2026.

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Be a Good Coach!

Like a physical trainer, good coaches or managers don’t do the heavy lifting for others. Instead, they ask questions, assist in setting up action plans, and most importantly, build skills and self-confidence, even in the most reluctant of employees.

Great coaches build self-assurance in the people they coach, so they have the confidence to tackle new challenges.

One of the great paradoxes of becoming a truly exceptional coach is the fact that studies have shown, time and time again, that self-awareness is not the answer in coaching. It’s a step, but ultimately what a great coach is doing is they’re building the self-assurance of the individual they’re coaching.

So, think about in your childhood, think about the times that you’ve had teachers or parents or sports coaches who literally made you feel confident. It was that energy or confidence that allowed you, then, to tackle something challenging. It was not due to a lack of confidence; it was due to the individual helping you realize that you could do it.

So, as a leader, what you’re always focusing on is building up the self-assurance of the people you lead. And you have to be careful because you don’t want to do that insincerely, and you can’t overdo their self-assurance, so they end up being foolish, but most individuals have a very self-critical side, and you’re trying to help them basically move through that to tackle something they need to focus in on for their development.

So, you can think about your team members, who often need a simple kind of next step or a small change in behavior. Put them in a situation where they can run and experiment, and the minute they have success, make sure you give them some recognition and praise, and encourage them, at the next meeting, to do the experiment again.

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Training Requirements Reminder

The Delaware law that specifically addresses prohibition against sexual harassment under the Delaware Discrimination in Employment Act (DDEA), requires interactive anti-sexual harassment training requirements for employers, with 50 or more employees in the state, every two years.

Contact HR Strategies to schedule the required training.

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Which Laws Apply to Your Organization?

Knowing which labor laws apply to your organization is important. The shifting legal landscape shapes every aspect of our work, requiring organizations to continually adapt policies and practices to comply with federal labor laws. While the following chart provides a baseline for which laws apply, employers should consult the relevant laws to determine other applicable criteria. State labor laws often go beyond federal requirements, so organizations must monitor both to ensure full compliance and avoid costly risks.

The first chart outlines the federal labor laws that apply to employers based on their total number of employees. Additional factors such as whether the employer is public, private, offers health insurance, or conducts background checks, may also affect whether a law applies to the organization. Employers should consult the relevant laws to determine other applicable criteria.

Employers with federal government contracts have additional legal requirements that may be based on the type and dollar amount of the contract. The second table indicates which laws and/or requirements apply to federal contractors based on their total number of employees. Each requirement may have other coverage criteria that should be reviewed against the specific contract.

Federal Labor Laws by Number of Employees

Federal Law	All Employers	11+	15+	20+	50+	100+
American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012	X	X	X	X	X	X
Consumer Credit Protection Act of 1968	X	X	X	X	X	X
Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988	X	X	X	X	X	X
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Equal Pay Act of 1963	X	X	X	X	X	X
Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1969 (FCRA)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Federal Insurance Contributions Act of 1935 (FICA) (Social Security)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (if company offers benefits)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986	X	X	X	X	X	X
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007	X	X	X	X	X	X
Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (for group health insurance plans)	X	X	X	X	X	X
National Labor Relations Act of 1947 (NLRA)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health protection Act of 1996 (for group health insurance plans)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act)	X	X	X	X	X	X
OSHA Hazard Communication Standard	X	X	X	X	X	X
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA)	X	X	X	X	X	X
OSHA Recordkeeping		X	X	X	X	X
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)			X	X	X	X
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA)			X	X	X	X
Pregnancy Discrimination Act			X	X	X	X
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964			X	X	X	X
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2022 (PWFA)			X	X	X	X
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)				X	X	X
Consolidated Omnibus Benefits Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA)				X	X	X
EEO-1 Report (filed annually)					X	X
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)					X	X
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)					X	X
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 (WARN Act)						X

Federal Contractor Labor Laws by Number of Employees

Federal Law	All Contractors	11+	15+	20+	50+	100+
Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA)					X	X
Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 503					X	X
Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (CWHSSA)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Copeland Act of 1934	X	X	X	X	X	X
Davis-Bacon Act of 1931	X	X	X	X	X	X
Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988	X	X	X	X	X	X
Executive Order 13201	X	X	X	X	X	X
McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (1965)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Walsh-Healy Act of 1936	X	X	X	X	X	X
War Hazards Compensation Act of 1942 (employees working overseas)	X	X	X	X	X	X