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Back in Office or Not? That Question Looms as Pandemic Subsides

As COVID-19 levels continue dropping across the country, employers are trying to plan out what the office environment will look like for the rest of the year. While many people have returned to school, restaurants, and sporting venues, many businesses and offices are still vacant or underutilized. Many employers that allowed or required employees to […]

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When Dealing With Sick Leave, It’s a Whole New World

The COVID-19 pandemic has had two key impacts on the American workplace: First, there is a very real risk of employees getting sick and spreading an infectious, debilitating, and potentially deadly disease to their coworkers. Second, huge numbers of Americans are now working remotely.

The Most Needed Skills for 2019: Soft Skills

The beginning of a new year is a natural time to look at self-improvement and set goals for the coming year. For professionals, that often involves focusing on improving professional skills. But, according to LinkedIn® data, there are over 50,000 professional skills out there. Obviously, that’s far too many for any one person to absorb. […]

Bringing DEI to Government

In our series on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leaders, we’ve tended to focus primarily on the private sector, a space that’s had a lot of interesting and exciting emerging developments. However, DEI is a key consideration within government organizations, as well. And, the structure, funding mechanisms, and political element of government organizations can create […]

How to Say Goodbye to an Employee

Many folks will tell you that the relationship between an employee and his employer is a lot like a marriage or a long-term personal relationship. The breakup of that relationship can be nasty, particularly if it has been a long-term association and one of the parties believes he has been treated unfairly. The situation can […]

More Flexibility with Form I-9 Compliance Expected in 2022

Like nearly all aspects of employment law today, immigration law hasn’t been immune from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trend is likely to continue throughout 2022, particularly with regard to employment authorization documentation. The federal government is looking to consider additional flexibility for employers working to comply with the requirements.

How to Use Humor to Boost Human Effectiveness

As an engineer, I am obsessed with efficiency. Even my name is efficient: My full name is Andrew, but I go by Drew because it’s only one syllable. But through my work with organizations around the globe, I’ve learned that you can’t be efficient with humans because they have “emotions” and “feelings” and get “sick” […]

Extension of Form I-9 Verification Flexibilities May Signal Major Change

Since March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its enforcement agency, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have issued changing guidance on how and when an employer may satisfy the Form I-9 in-person inspection requirements during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since April 1, 2021, they have allowed employers to delay […]

Does the Common Cold Qualify for FMLA/CFRA Leave?

Does a serious cold qualify as a serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and/or its state law counterpart, the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)? How about the flu? Leave of absence laws were established to protect employees with serious health conditions; do colds and the flu measure up?

AI Discrimination: What EEOC Settlement with iTutorGroup, Inc., Means for Employers

Can artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning programs lead to discrimination claims? The simple answer is yes, and the recent settlement between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and three integrated English-language tutoring companies known as iTutorGroup, Inc., confirms any doubts employers might have. Now more than ever, employers should carefully evaluate the benefits and […]