Employment law changes: What HR & employers expect into 2022.

Paid sick leave--an issue supported by President Biden and gaining momentum in state legislatures--is the top legislative issue that employers expect to impact their businesses over the next 12 months, according to a new Littler law firm survey of 1,100 HR professionals and in-house attorneys.

"Whether a law expanding paid sick and family leave benefits passes at the federal level remains to be seen. But either way, states, counties and cities will continue to focus on this issue," says Littler attorney Michelle Falconer. As a result, employers "will face significant compliance challenges that come with navigating a patchwork of varying requirements."

The second most-watched issue: income inequality measures, such as gender-pay equity laws, minimum wage increases and pay transparency regulations. That's followed by legal changes relating to diversity and...