Tag: benefits

When Investigating Isn’t Enough: 5th Circuit Highlights Importance of Being Thorough

When an employee complains about workplace harassment, opening an investigation is an important first step, but it isn’t the last one. A recent decision from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all employers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) reminds employers that once they learn about possible harassment, they must respond […]

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What U.S. Employers Need to Know About USCIS’s Proposed AR-11 Overhaul

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed significant changes to Form AR-11, the address change form that most foreign nationals in the United States must file within 10 days of moving. Although the address reporting obligation is long-standing, the proposed revisions would expand the form well beyond a routine address update, collecting employment, schooling, […]

Know Your Obligations to Employees on Military Leave

Most HR professionals are aware that, under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and similar state laws, they must provide military leave for employees with military service obligations, such as those who serve in the National Guard and military reserves, and reemploy them when that duty is over. What often isn’t as […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]