Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The Department of Labor (DOL) rang in the new year with some new guidance for employers covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This time, the DOL addressed whether an employee’s travel to and from medical appointments qualified as FMLA-protected time. Example Scenario An employee who works from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. […]
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held a half-day program on January 27, 2026, focused on employee noncompetes. The FTC indicated its intent to pursue prosecution of agreements that violate antitrust or otherwise inappropriately limit employee choice. However, the commission is not reproposing the prior rule banning all noncompetes. If workers have issues, the agency suggests […]
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Texas employers) brought the hammer down on February 18 in an opinion written by Chief Judge Elrod. Glad I was not the nail. Show-cause order issued What is a show-cause order? It’s an order issued by a court to a lawyer essentially saying, […]
Court orders can have direct and enforceable consequences in the workplace. While these matters arise from an employee’s personal life, employers are often legally obligated to comply with court orders and must do so without engaging in or exacerbating the underlying dispute. Failure to understand these obligations can result in statutory penalties, civil liability, or […]
As businesses grow, owners may increasingly rely on key employees and HR professionals to manage functions owners don’t directly oversee. Key employees and HR professionals are typically those employees who have access to important, confidential business information. These individuals often gain access to confidential operational details, employee information, and other sensitive data. A common question […]
In Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a rare unanimous employment opinion, held that placing an additional evidentiary burden on majority group plaintiffs was inconsistent with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Supreme Court precedent. In Ames, the Court examined whether, in order to establish […]
In the age of AI and remote work, HR leaders are dealing with tough compliance challenges, and they must have strategies to keep everything straight and in order for their organizations. To learn the best practices for what HR leaders should do right now to deal with compliance issues, we sat down with leading experts […]
In a new wave of lawsuits filed under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), four employers were sued during the recent holiday season for allegedly breaching ERISA fiduciary duties regarding their voluntary benefits insurance offerings. The voluntary benefits at issue are accident insurance, critical illness insurance, cancer insurance, and hospital indemnity insurance. […]
A year ago, agency heads assumed they were appointed for fixed terms and protected by law from summary termination. However, by means of a series of presidential actions, even the leaders of the “independent” agencies have been “re-classified” as at-will employees, serving at the pleasure of the president. This is in concert with an expanded view […]
After Congress refused to block state regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) for a second time, President Trump on December 11, 2025, issued Executive Order (EO) 14365, Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence. The purpose as stated is to create a uniform federal framework for AI and sharply limit the ability of states to […]