Tag: HR Leaders

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 […]

Circuit

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, […]

DOL’s Workplace AI Strategy Follows Historical Approach to Technology

In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is responding consistently with its historical approach to technological advancements. Before adopting AI-related compliance frameworks, the DOL is prioritizing workforce readiness for an AI-powered world. Aligned with the current administration’s policies, the DOL’s approach promotes innovation over restriction and guidance over enforcement, […]

How to Plan and Conduct Successful HR Data Migration 

Human resources (HR) data is one of the most important pieces of information stored in the modern enterprise, serving as a strategic, organizational backbone. It comprises some of an institution’s most sensitive data, including employee records, payroll information, and performance history.  When this data needs to be migrated, whether for system upgrades or merger requirements, companies must ensure that the information remains intact […]

NLRB Finding Its Way, or Does Anyone Benefit From a Nonfunctioning Board?

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)—the oldest “super agency,” created in 1935—is newly reconstituted and will be finding its way in an unprecedented setting and facing unprecedented challenges.  Background  President Trump, in an unprecedented move, fired Board Member Gwen Wilcox in January 2025, despite provisions in the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) bestowing tenure protections […]

Department of Labor Issues FMLA Guidance in Recent Opinion Letters

Earlier this year, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued opinion letters offering employers guidance regarding certain family and medical leave matters under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). As with other opinion letters, they are nonbinding on the courts, but they serve as valuable insight to employers on the DOL’s expectations regarding an employer’s […]