Tag: HR laws

RIFs in the Age of AI: Why Data-Driven Decisions are Increasing Employer Risk

By Adam Bouka, Attorney, Holland & Hart LLP May 29, 2026 HR Technology

Updated: May 29, 2026

Employers have long used reductions in force (RIFs) as a high-risk but familiar response to economic pressure, restructuring, or strategic change. Traditionally, employers evaluated RIF-related risk through relatively discrete lenses—compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, potential discrimination claims, and the adequacy of internal documentation. Today, that approach may no longer be […]

Federal Agencies to Require Clause Banning DEI Programs for Federal Contractors

By Jolynn Huntley, Attorney, The Kullman Firm May 28, 2026 Diversity & Inclusion

Updated: May 28, 2026

President Trump has signed another Executive Order (EO) banning “racially discriminatory DEI activities.” Contractors will be required to acknowledge compliance with multiple obligations, including potential access to books, records, and accounts, as well as for oversight of their subcontractors. The new EO further defines “racially discriminatory DEI activities” and “program participation.” Based on the newly […]

EntertainHR: Ghosts: Career Catfishing from Beyond the Grave

By Kristin Starnes Gray, FordHarrison May 27, 2026 EntertainHR

Updated: May 27, 2026

The CBS sitcom, Ghosts (adapted from a British series) follows the lives of Sam (played by Rose McIver) and Jay (played by Utkarsh Ambudkar), who inherit a beautiful New York country house only to find that it is inhabited by the ghosts of those who have perished on the property over the centuries.  While Sam is able to see and communicate with the […]

Why Most Employees Still Don’t Have a Will – and How Technology is Closing the Gap 

By Lisa Wolf, Director of People & Culture, ARAG May 22, 2026 Benefits and Compensation

Updated: May 22, 2026

Estate planning is one of those tasks that most people know they should complete – yet many never do. Despite widespread awareness of its importance, execution remains low across the workforce. Research shows that only 32% of Americans have a will. At the same time, 64% of adults say having a will is important, underscoring a persistent disconnect between intent and […]

Legislative and Labor Push Against Artificial Intelligence is Looming

By Paul J. Zech, Attorney, Felhaber Larson May 22, 2026 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: May 22, 2026

In the 2025 book “If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies,” the authors confidently predict how superhuman AI will lead to the annihilation of humanity. The book isn’t fiction. Existential threat or not, AI is here and growing all around us, including, increasingly, in the workplace. Its prevalence raises significant issues for unionized employers, such as […]

Spotting the Red Flags: The Legal Risks Posed by Employer Use of AI

By Kayla Snider, Associate, Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. May 15, 2026 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: May 15, 2026

AI is rapidly transforming and becoming increasingly integrated into employer’s decision-making. Employers are leveraging AI tools to streamline hiring, manage employee performance, draft contracts, policies, or other legal documents, and even to answer complex legal questions. But as the adoption of AI in HR accelerates, so do the risks. For employers in particular, which have […]

When is Travel Time Compensable?

By Karlie Gorall, Attorney, Steptoe & Johnson May 14, 2026 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: May 14, 2026

Q: Our technicians travel to different jobsites with company-provided vehicles, and they don’t typically drive to a central company location but rather drive from site to site and then home at the end of the day. Is the travel time to the first worksite and then back home at the end of the day compensable, […]

EntertainHR: The NFL’s Real Offseason was at the Bargaining Table 

By Marc Sugerman, Attorney, FordHarrison May 13, 2026 EntertainHR

Updated: May 14, 2026

While most of the football-loving world was busy analyzing free agency and the new draft class, the most impactful event of the summer took place at the collective bargaining table when the National Football League (“NFL) and the NFL Referees Association (“NFLRA”) reached agreement on a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement that will run through […]

ICE Updates I-9 Inspection Guidance

By Maureen E. James, Attorney, Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. May 12, 2026 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: May 12, 2026

Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made unannounced changes to their Form I-9 inspection guidance. Employers are required to verify the identity and employment authorization for all employees through the completion of the Form I-9 employment eligibility verification. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act and as outlined in 8 U.S. Code §1324a, employers can be […]

Consider These Tips for Complying with EEOC Priorities

By Tracey Eberling, Attorney, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC May 8, 2026 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: May 8, 2026

Employers would be well-served to review their policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that they are in line with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) current focus and priorities.  Pay Attention to EEOC’s Targets The watch words of “equity versus equality” underpin the EEOC’s targets for enforcement actions. According to official and unofficial statements made […]