Tag: Employment law

IT

Pay Attention to This Texas Distracted Driving Phone Sex Case

Distracted driving is a huge issue in the United States, causing large numbers of crashes and deaths every year. But what happens when distracted driving results in a crash from an on-the-job employee? Can the employer be held responsible? What can employers do to protect themselves? Distracted Driving Thomas Earl Roberts was a commercial tractor-trailer […]

HRDA Frankly Speaking: HR Leadership Shouldn’t Include Theology

Religious exemptions requests of AI are growing by the day. Since May, when the Vatican released an encyclical offering criticism on AI and its use, several instances of employees successfully acquiring religious accommodations to avoid using AI have been popping up, and likely many more to follow. What does this mean for employers? Well, thanks […]

FMLA

Wayfair PFML Verdict: Five Lessons Every HR Professional Should Take Seriously

Recently, a Massachusetts superior court jury awarded $4.75 million to an employee in a case against her former employer, Wayfair. The verdict has become one of the most significant employment law developments for Massachusetts employers since the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) law took effect in 2021. The substantial verdict under PFML’s antiretaliation provision […]

SCOTUS Clears Path for TPS Terminations—What Employers Need to Do Now

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) recently decided in Mullin v. Doe that federal courts generally lack authority to review Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decisions to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) designations. This decision clears the way for DHS to move forward with terminating TPS protections for several countries. Here’s what employers […]

civility

Nonpartisan Civil Service Under Attack

For much of the 19th century, the United States was hobbled by widespread government corruption. “To the victor go the spoils” supplanted a government “of, by, and for the people.” Only a national disgust with post-Civil War era corruption led to the creation of a nonpartisan civil service. Despite occasional slips (Teapot Dome), the federal […]

EntertainHR: Red Carded: What The World Cup Can Teach Employers About National Origin Harassment In The Workplace 

My personal feelings about FIFA aside, it’s hard not to conclude that the 2026 World Cup was an absolute success.  Whether it was foreigners discovering the beauty of the Americas (including our love of giant gas stations and ranch dressing), the Tartan Army of Scotland drinking Boston dry, or the Norwegians showing the proper form in rowing, our divided country, if not the world, […]

Can Private Employers Ban Guns from Their Premises?

Q: As a private employer, can we prohibit employees from carrying firearms and other weapons on our premises, including those with a valid concealed-carry permit, and are there any legal or privacy concerns with requiring employees who are carrying to disclose this information to management? For the first question, it depends on what state you’re […]

Lettuce Talk About Food Safety: What Recent Cases Mean for Employers

What Jannica Church was expecting to be a normal visit to Arby’s turned into the beginning of her development of herpes. What many customers were expecting to be a normal Taco Bell experience ended up leaving them with explosive diarrhea. While these recent food safety cases could be blown off as everyday headlines, they actually […]

summer

Summer is Here: When ‘Working From the Cabin’ Becomes an Accommodation Request

As Minnesota’s cabin season kicks into high gear, employers may find themselves fielding a familiar request: “Can I work remotely?” For many employees, the ask is simply a lifestyle preference—a desire to swap the office for a deck overlooking the water. But for others, the request may be rooted in a medical condition that makes […]

Minimum Wage

DOL’s New Opinion Letters Highlight Important Wage and Hour Compliance Issues

On May 29, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued four new Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) opinion letters. Two of them—FLSA2026-5 and FLSA2026-8—address questions that come up frequently for employers managing exempt classifications and timekeeping practices. Below is a summary of each. Dual-position Employees Can Retain Exempt Status […]