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Fired Teacher’s Lawsuit Offers Reminder: Document Everything, Apply It Evenly

A teacher’s discrimination suit against his former school district reminds employers of the evidentiary burdens employees face and shows what a defensible investigation looks like. What Happened Joe Bravo, a teacher of Mexican-American descent, was accused by six different students of making racially and culturally insensitive remarks about their educational prospects. The Dallas Independent School […]

minimum wage

Minimum Wage Increases Take Effect: What Employers Need to Know

On July 1, workers across Maryland and Washington, D.C., saw changes to their minimum hourly rate. As workers continue to contend with the affordability crisis, two counties in Maryland and the District of Columbia are three of the more than 20 states and localities to increase the minimum wage this summer. While Maryland’s statewide minimum […]

DOJ Opinion Declares EEOC Regulations on Disparate Impact Unconstitutional

In response to a request from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Andrea Lucas, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) on June 9 issued an opinion declaring the EEOC’s current guidance on disparate impact under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to be unconstitutional.  Background  The concept […]

New Stanford Study Reveals Bias in AI Hiring Tools, Raises Stakes for Employers

A recent study by Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) provides new large-scale evidence that artificial intelligence (AI) hiring tools can produce racially disparate outcomes. For employers increasingly relying on automated screening to manage applicant volume, the study raises significant legal risk, particularly under long-standing disparate impact principles. Details The Stanford researchers analyzed […]

Fumbling Arbitration at the Goal Line—A Cautionary Tale

The U.S. Supreme Court recently handed the National Football League (NFL) a significant off-field loss, declining to enforce the league’s arbitration agreement. West Virginia employers would be wise to make sure their agreements stand up to scrutiny. Flag on the Play Former coach Brian Flores sued the NFL and two teams, the New York Giants […]

HRDA Frankly Speaking: Strategic Courage

As HR professionals, and really as people, we opt to be nice and polite when dealing with anything in the workplace. But what happens when that blanket “agreeable”-ness produces a stagnant and stale environment instead of something productive? When the status quo becomes more harm than good, how can you break the mold? Amira Barger, […]

Radical Labor Legislation Advances in the U.S. House

On June 9, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed what could be the most radical revision to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in its history. By a vote of 230-193, the House passed H.R. 5408—the Faster Labor Contracts Act (FLCA). The “aye” votes included every Democratic representative and 20 Republican representatives. The FLCA […]

Job Redesign Is HR’s Real AI Mandate Now  

A recent eight-month field study at a 200-person U.S. tech company found that AI work expanded employees’ responsibilities, pushed work into breaks and evenings, and increased multitasking. The authors treat that pattern as a warning. For HR leaders, the more useful conclusion is sharper: AI does what serious productivity tools usually do. It raises capacity, then the […]

Faces of HR: How KinderCare’s CPO Supports a Nationwide Team

Jessica Harrah’s path to becoming a top HR leader started in a courtroom, not a corporate classroom. She began her career at KinderCare Learning Companies as a staff attorney. After spending 10 years handling legal matters for the organization, she moved up to become the Senior Associate Counsel. While she truly enjoyed her time working […]

OMB Approves EEO-1 Rescission

On June 9, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) concluded its review of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) proposal to rescind its reporting regulations and data collection forms (EEO1, EEO-3, EEO-4 and EEO-5). The conclusion was a surprise to many groups, which had been granted […]