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It’s often tempting to ask applicants to explain any gaps in their work history on job applications. But asking that simple question can reveal information you don’t want to have, like their criminal history. That’s especially troublesome if you operate in a state with strict rules about using an applicant’s criminal record to make the hiring decision.

Some states and major cities have stepped in, telling employers that workers are entitled to predictable schedules so they can plan for child care, second jobs, education and time away. While that’s great for workers, the patchwork of laws and rules can complicate management, especially for employers with operations across multiple jurisdictions.

Employees who broadly value their jobs and benefits packages remain stubbornly disengaged, financially stressed and skeptical about what the future holds.

A staff member wants to take Saturdays off to celebrate Shabbat. We are a 24/7 residential care facility and require staff to work an every-other-weekend rotating schedule. Under religious accommodation, would we be required to change the schedule to allow her Saturdays off, thereby having other staff members that now will have to be scheduled every weekend to cover the open shifts?

Employers shouldn’t assume that just because no one is reporting harassment, it’s not happening.

For now, contractors, grant recipients and employers will have to work with their attorneys to determine whether their programs discriminate.

The January report signals a labor market operating in a persistent low-hire, low-fire pattern that will likely extend through 2026. HR leaders should prepare for continued wage pressure even as hiring slows, particularly in health care and technical roles, where competition remains fierce.

Candidate authenticity has displaced the traditional “not enough qualified candidates” complaint in the hiring world. Generative AI raised the floor of résumé quality and candidate presentation, forcing HR teams to refocus their energy on skill validation, structured interviews and identity assurance.

Dubbed SALUTE for Support and Assistance for Leaders in USERRA Training and Employment, the program allows employers to ask for technical assistance to better understand their obligations.

Just a few weeks after EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas took to social media site X to plea for white men who believe they have been discriminated against because of their race, sex or both to file complaints, a plaintiff has filed a failure-to-hire lawsuit based on reverse discrimination.