Tag: HR

Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation: Recent EEOC Guidance for Employers

Disability accommodation claims have long been among the most common workplace discrimination claims, but the recent increase has been unusually sharp. One major driver is telework as a requested reasonable accommodation. For employers managing return-to-office expectations, the practical question is whether there are lawful ways to evaluate, limit, modify, or deny telework requests when appropriate. […]

Union Contracts Are Becoming HR AI Playbook 

HR leaders should watch an unexpected source of practical AI policy: collective bargaining agreements. A July 2026 Axios review found that the NewsGuild-CWA had roughly 85 to 90 contracts with explicit AI provisions. Those workplace AI rules matter beyond unionized employers because they show how employee participation can become part of deployment rather than a […]

Faces of HR: How Equifax’s Chris Johnson is Making HR the Hero

Chris Johnson isn’t your typical HR leader—and that’s his superpower. As Senior Vice President and General Manager of Employer Services at Equifax Workforce Solutions, Johnson leads a team dedicated to providing HR professionals with people-driven, data-powered solutions. His goal? Take the heavy lifting out of HR compliance so employers can spend less time on administration and […]

End of an Era? EEOC Votes to Scrap 60-year-old Demographic Reporting Requirements

On July 21, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to approve a draft notice of proposed rulemaking that would rescind the EEO-1 report and related demographic data reporting requirements, ending an obligation that has been a fixture of federal employment compliance for six decades. While the proposal must still navigate the notice-and-comment process […]

Rising IRS Mileage Rates: Your Reimbursement Practices May Need a Tune-Up

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has raised the optional standard mileage rate for business use of an automobile for the second half of 2026. Effective July 1, the business mileage rate increased from 72.5 cents per mile to 76 cents per mile. Employers that use the IRS rate for employees’ mileage reimbursement should adjust their […]

IT

Pay Attention to This Texas Distracted Driving Phone Sex Case

Distracted driving is a huge issue in the United States, causing large numbers of crashes and deaths every year. But what happens when distracted driving results in a crash from an on-the-job employee? Can the employer be held responsible? What can employers do to protect themselves? Distracted Driving Thomas Earl Roberts was a commercial tractor-trailer […]

Behind the Professional Smile: Inside the Trend of “Cry Masking” at Work

There’s a new phrase quietly circulating through the corporate world, and it points to a heavy reality for American professionals: “cry masking.” Coined by resume.io, cry masking describes a growing phenomenon where employees who feel emotionally overwhelmed on the job go to extreme lengths to hide it. They step away to hide tears, suppress breakdowns, and […]

maternity

EEOC Lawsuits Signal Increased Scrutiny of Pregnancy Discrimination

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) continues to signal that pregnancy discrimination and pregnancy accommodation practices remain important agency enforcement concerns. First, on June 4, 2026, the EEOC adopted its new National Enforcement Plan for fiscal years 2025 through 2029. The plan specifically identifies cases that may help develop and define the scope of employer […]

HRDA Frankly Speaking: HR Leadership Shouldn’t Include Theology

Religious exemptions requests of AI are growing by the day. Since May, when the Vatican released an encyclical offering criticism on AI and its use, several instances of employees successfully acquiring religious accommodations to avoid using AI have been popping up, and likely many more to follow. What does this mean for employers? Well, thanks […]

FMLA

Wayfair PFML Verdict: Five Lessons Every HR Professional Should Take Seriously

Recently, a Massachusetts superior court jury awarded $4.75 million to an employee in a case against her former employer, Wayfair. The verdict has become one of the most significant employment law developments for Massachusetts employers since the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) law took effect in 2021. The substantial verdict under PFML’s antiretaliation provision […]