Stranger Things: Living in the Upside-Down World of Employment Law in 2026
While Colorado continues to introduce new compliance obligations for employers, the current federal government has fashioned a completely different world for employers. Employers must balance new federal obligations with increasing state requirements. HR compliance has become more complex in these competing worlds. This employment law update will address the significant fault lines in the workplace, including the regulation of artificial intelligence, recent changes to Colorado law that conflict with federal enforcement efforts, a review of the 2025 Colorado legislative session, and where federal and state law and regulations will take us in 2026.
Presenter: Chuck Passaglia
Charles T. Passaglia, Esq.
Employment Law Solutions, Inc.
303.915.6334
cpassaglia@defendwork.com
www.defendwork.com
Chuck Passaglia is an employment lawyer in Colorado. In 2003, he founded Employment Law Solutions, Inc., which specializes in providing advice and counsel in employment matters, conducting impartial and thorough workplace investigations, and training the entire workforce in critical employment law compliance topics, such as the laws of the workplace, ethics and standards of conduct, managing employees’ absences, compensation and benefits, and harassment prevention. He delivers more than 150 entertaining and popular training courses a year. In addition, his award-winning book, Can I Bring my Pet Monkey to Work? Answers to 45 of the Wildest Workplace Law Questions was published in November 2020.
Previously, he served as a judge advocate (military officer and attorney) on active duty, and in the Reserve force, in the United States Navy and is a veteran of combat support operations in the Middle East and East Africa; he was a litigation attorney with Moye Giles (now Moye White) in Denver; and was in-house employment law counsel for the Employers Council, Inc.
Chuck received a degree in Philosophy from St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri and his law degree from the University of Denver. At the University of Denver, he served on the Board of Editors of the
Denver University Law Review.
Agenda:
9:45am -10:00am: Check-in
10:00am - 10:15am: Welcome & housekeeping
10:15am - 12pm: Program/Presentation
12:30pm - 1:00pm: Lunch (provided) - Q & A with Chuck
Location:
100 Jefferson County Pkwy
Golden, CO 80419
Fay Griffin Conference Room & HR Training Room (overflow)
FREE onsite parking!
Notes:
Due to capacity of Faye Griffin Conference Room (56), there will be overflow seating and event streaming in the HR Training Room located on the 4th floor for training size over 56. PSHRA Board Members will be onsite to assist with directions to overflow. All participants are invited for pizza and salad during the Q & A portion of the program.
In the event of inclement weather, this event may be moved to a Zoom training. A decision and communication will be made no later than early afternoon on Monday, January 12, 2026. If the event is moved to a virtual event, all registered attendees will be registered for the Zoom training and sent an event link.
Special thanks to our Corporate Sponsors!