Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

What Does Ranch Dressing Have To Do with Employment Law?

Wait, did you read that right? “What does ranch dressing have to do with employment law?” Well, quite a lot actually, as long as we’re talking about the most famous type of ranch dressing, the brand that introduced most of America to ranch dressing: Hidden Valley Ranch. Legend of the Hidden Valley The story of […]

Generative AI and Privilege: What Recent Court Decisions Mean for Your Company

Gen AI tools are now embedded in daily business operations—from drafting emails and summarizing documents to analyzing data and preparing internal reports—whether they’re sanctioned or not. But as companies and employees adopt these tools, courts are beginning to address an important question: Are AI prompts, uploads, and outputs safe from discovery? Two recent federal decisions […]

EEOC Provides Guidance on Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation

In February 2026, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance titled “Frequently Asked Questions from the Federal Sector about Telework Accommodations for Disabilities.” Although it’s targeted toward federal agencies, the guidance draws on standards also relevant to private employers covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Alternative Reasonable Accommodations The ADA entitles qualified […]

Garnishments: Understanding Orders to Withhold Wages

During tax season, some people may be excited by the prospect of receiving refund checks from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or their state’s respective Department of Revenue. For some, those expected payouts may never materialize if there are orders allowing that money to be surrendered to repay things like back taxes or owed child […]

New Employee Benefits Developments for New York Employers

Employers operating in New York face several new employee benefits requirements that require attention. Also, recent developments and litigation trends are increasing compliance and fiduciary risk. Required for 2026—New York State Law On October 8, 2025, New York State launched the New York State Secure Choice Savings Program (the “Program”). The Program is designed to […]

Court’s Ruling Offers Cautionary Tale for Clients Using Generative AI

When a party communicates with a publicly available AI platform in connection with a legal dispute, are the party’s communications protected by the attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine? In one of the earliest decisions on this issue, Judge Jed S. Rakoff—an influential judge in the Southern District of New York—held that such communications were […]

Pendulum Swings Again: DOL’s Proposed Rule on Independent Contractors

The legal framework governing worker classification in the United States has undergone significant turbulence over the past five years, leaving businesses to navigate a seemingly ever-changing regulatory environment. Most recently, on February 27, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a notice of proposed rulemaking that would alter the analysis for determining whether a […]

Ohio Jury Awards $22.5M in Pregnancy Accommodation/Wrongful Death Case

A recent Ohio jury verdict underscores the legal and operational risks employers face when responding to accommodation requests involving pregnancy-related medical conditions. The jury awarded approximately $22.5 million in a wrongful death action arising from an employer’s denial of a work-from-home request. Facts According to the complaint, the employee was a claims associate for a […]

NLRB Finding Its Way, or Does Anyone Benefit From a Nonfunctioning Board?

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)—the oldest “super agency,” created in 1935—is newly reconstituted and will be finding its way in an unprecedented setting and facing unprecedented challenges.  Background  President Trump, in an unprecedented move, fired Board Member Gwen Wilcox in January 2025, despite provisions in the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) bestowing tenure protections […]

Department of Labor Issues FMLA Guidance in Recent Opinion Letters

Earlier this year, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued opinion letters offering employers guidance regarding certain family and medical leave matters under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). As with other opinion letters, they are nonbinding on the courts, but they serve as valuable insight to employers on the DOL’s expectations regarding an employer’s […]