The Protect Older Job Applicants Act is aimed at providing older applicants with stronger protections in hiring than currently exist under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

Effective Sept. 30, the EEOC has closed its processing of cases where the basis for the complaint is an allegation that an employer’s practices or policies have a disparate impact on members of a protected class. These are cases where the employer isn’t accused of intentional discrimination, but the policy or practice impacts a protected class more than it impacts other applicants or employers.

• The 5 benefits of a good job description, and the risks associated with outdated ones.
• The 4 federal laws that require accurate and up-to-date job descriptions, including the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
• 4 simple steps to create accurate and defensible job descriptions that match industry standards and local variations—with online resources.
• How to define “essential functions” for ADA, FMLA and PWFA purposes.
• Using job descriptions as a disciplinary tool to guide performance reviews and employee discipline, including designing PIPs in the era of reductions in force.
• Choosing the right language that locks in an employee’s FLSA classification, avoids discrimination charges and more.
• Tips and tools for continually evaluating job descriptions to avoid misclassification errors and other legal issues throughout the year.

With the government shutdown that began at midnight Oct. 1, some services may be temporarily unavailable. That includes the use of the E-Verify system for employers that participate. However, that does not mean employers can have new employees start work without gathering necessary documentation to verify that the new employee is legally authorized to work in the U.S.

For decades, the EEOC has taken the position that employers can be liable for sexual harassment by third parties like customers and clients if they knew or should have known that the harassment was taking place but didn’t take steps to stop it. Now, a recent federal appeals court has ruled that the EEOC’s position isn’t valid and the only way an employer can be held liable for third-party harassment is if it intended for the harassment to occur.

• Get a clear overview of federal and state pay transparency and pay-equity laws.
• Learn how and when to engage consultants and legal counsel to ensure your pay-equity efforts are compliant, accurate and strategically aligned with your organization’s goals.
• Follow a step-by-step framework covering planning, data analysis and action to identify pay gaps and implement solutions.
• Discover how pay-equity initiatives intersect with new diversity, equity and inclusion rules.
• Learn how to communicate audit results effectively, make informed pay decisions and implement changes that reduce risk while building trust with employees.

At the recent HR Specialist Summit held September 10–11, Anniken Davenport, HR Employment Law Advisor senior legal editor, addressed the top employment law trends of 2025 and what’s coming in 2026.

We have an employee placed on unpaid suspension for failure to complete background-check requirements. They are working on completion, but they could be off one to two weeks. I’m wondering which of these options would be best practice.

Employers increasingly face scrutiny over the use of credit history in hiring—a practice critics argue has little to do with job performance but a lot to do with discrimination. A new proposal in Congress seeks to change that.

Hiring decisions are among the most consequential choices an organization makes. A single mistake can ripple across productivity, morale and even legal compliance.