Tag: HR Leaders

SPARK HR Day 2 Recap: Empathy is the Name of the Game

The sun and fun of SPARK HR was well underway as Day 2 of our conference kicked off. From Disney to Chick-fil-A, the world’s premiere HR leaders took the stage to shine a light on what the HR world needs, and how to flourish in the field. The thing they all agree on? Empathy is […]

What Does Ranch Dressing Have To Do with Employment Law?

Wait, did you read that right? “What does ranch dressing have to do with employment law?” Well, quite a lot actually, as long as we’re talking about the most famous type of ranch dressing, the brand that introduced most of America to ranch dressing: Hidden Valley Ranch. Legend of the Hidden Valley The story of […]

Best of SPARK HR Podcasts: Part 1

Over the past few months, we’ve had the pleasure of previewing the many fantastic HR leaders set to speak at SPARK HR, learning the ins and outs of what HR professionals need to know in order to succeed in the modern workforce. The insights were actionable and engaging, and we want to make sure you […]

EEOC Provides Guidance on Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation

In February 2026, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance titled “Frequently Asked Questions from the Federal Sector about Telework Accommodations for Disabilities.” Although it’s targeted toward federal agencies, the guidance draws on standards also relevant to private employers covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Alternative Reasonable Accommodations The ADA entitles qualified […]

The Human Skills HR Must Prioritize to Make AI Work 

An employee uses AI to generate a recommendation in seconds. It looks polished, confident, and complete. But it’s flawed. Without the skills to question or validate that output, the mistake moves forward faster than ever before. This is the reality organizations are facing as AI in HR adoption accelerates.  The biggest challenge with AI transformation is not adoption, but workforce readiness, making sure […]

Garnishments: Understanding Orders to Withhold Wages

During tax season, some people may be excited by the prospect of receiving refund checks from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or their state’s respective Department of Revenue. For some, those expected payouts may never materialize if there are orders allowing that money to be surrendered to repay things like back taxes or owed child […]

Court’s Ruling Offers Cautionary Tale for Clients Using Generative AI

When a party communicates with a publicly available AI platform in connection with a legal dispute, are the party’s communications protected by the attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine? In one of the earliest decisions on this issue, Judge Jed S. Rakoff—an influential judge in the Southern District of New York—held that such communications were […]

EntertainHR: March Madness and Non-Competes 

About half of this year’s Sweet Sixteen starters in the men’s NCAA March Madness tournament began their college careers at a different program. Michigan State was the only Sweet Sixteen team with all five starters originating at the university. Four teams retained four of their five starters. For all remaining teams, at least two starters transferred from a different school.  Player transfers are part of what makes March Madness so exciting. Transfers allow competition to […]

4th Circuit Rules Agreements Can’t Shorten Time to File Antidiscrimination Claims

The federal statutes prohibiting employment discrimination, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), establish specific periods during which employees must act to timely pursue a claim. In a recent decision, the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals (which encompasses Maryland, North Carolina, South […]

How HR Can Win, Manager to Manager

Action plans are only as good as the system that supports them. After the survey closes and priorities are set, managers are often expected to deliver results without the structures, skills, or motivation needed to succeed. So, what can HR professionals do to help managers actually function? We asked upcoming SPARK HR speaker, I/O psychologist, […]