Tag: Employment law

marijuana

Cannabis Reclassification is a Turning Point: HR and Compliance Teams Must Be Ready 

On April 23, 2026, the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration took the most consequential step in federal cannabis policy in more than five decades, placing FDA-approved cannabis products and state-licensed medical marijuana into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. A DEA hearing beginning June 29, 2026, will consider whether broader rescheduling, including recreational […]

stress

Workplace Pressures Take a Toll, but Employers Can Help

Evidence is piling up that many in today’s workplace are not OK. Stressors like financial insecurity, worries about AI, and political strife spilling into the workplace are dragging people down. And employers and employees aren’t always coping well. While no perfect solution is likely to surface, suggestions abound on how employers can help. Trust Versus […]

Creating Useful Performance Reviews

I didn’t like giving reviews, and I don’t like receiving them. There must be a better way. Here are some suggestions generated by “Gen AI Could Fix Performance Reviews—or Make Them Even Worse,” an article in the Harvard Business Review by Chrysanthos Dellarocas (May 26, 2026). Challenge We all fool ourselves. A recent study shows […]

The Problem With Saying ‘No problem!’

The following is not about manipulation. No, it is about thriving in a workplace environment, always being your own best advocate, and leveraging every opportunity to do so. The following is a mash up of advice from @iqra on X and Robert B. Cialdini from his book Influence: Science and Practice. As Rabbi Hillel observed […]

Depression and Other Mental Health Conditions in the Workplace: An Increasing Employer Challenge

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) most recent published annual reporting, claims for disability-related discrimination (38%) outpaced race (34%) and sex (26%) related filings. Indeed, in the past three reporting years, the number of charges filed claiming disability-related discrimination increased by 34% (25,004 to 33,668), more than in any other filing category. Disability […]

ICE Updates I-9 Inspection Fact Sheet

For the first time in almost 30 years, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has updated its Form I-9 inspection fact sheet. The changes were issued without any notice in the Federal Register, and there was no proposed rulemaking. The revisions replace many provisions of the 1997 Virtue memorandum, which governed compliance until now, and […]

AI Skills Are Becoming the New Office Rent for HR 

AI skills are becoming the new office rent: a recurring cost of staying relevant at work. For HR leaders, that changes the question from whether employees should use AI to whether the organization can define competent use clearly enough to reward it, train it, and govern it. The old divide centered on remote versus in-person […]

HRDA Frankly Speaking: External Factors on Internal Culture

Tyrese Manigault, Senior Manager of Employee Engagement of NASCAR, opened up a discussion during SPARK HR on the future of DEI, AI’s effects on leadership, and how leaders view legacy. In his panel, he broke down just how important it is for HR professionals to own up to what they can’t control, and approach what […]

Severance Tradeoff: What Employers and Employees Should Know

A severance agreement isn’t just a payment document—it’s a legal exchange. The employer offers new compensation or benefits, and the employee typically releases potential legal claims and accepts certain post-employment obligations. Both sides should understand that trade-off before signing. These agreements often arrive at a difficult moment. The employer wants finality, and the employee may […]

EntertainHR: Let’s Actually Be Suitable for Work: Lessons from Not Suitable for Work 

The premiere of Mindy Kaling’s latest comedy – Not Suitable for Work – follows a group of young adults entering the workforce and figuring out their lives. This topic is an endless well of content, and Kaling’s new show is in good company with Adults, Girls, Friends, and Broad City, to name a few. Unlike some of its above-mentioned television colleagues, Not Suitable for Work largely focuses on the […]