There’s something inherently suspicious about following up a valid charge of discrimination or harassment with an almost immediate employment action against the employee who filed the initial claim. That smacks of retaliation.

An employee just told me that their parent who lives in another country has a serious health condition, so they want to take FMLA leave to travel there and care for the parent. Can the employee apply for FMLA leave before heading overseas, or must he travel overseas using other leave and apply from there?

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Back in the early days of the Trump administration, one of the first moves at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was to drop lawsuits alleging discrimination based on gender identity. Now, one of those abruptly dropped cases has been settled after private attorneys stepped in.

A recently filed lawsuit against Google illustrates the need to train supervisors about their obligations under all pregnancy-related laws, including adjusting expectations when the pregnancy requires such adjustments.

• Understanding the impact of harmful behaviors. Learn how negativity erodes team dynamics and undermines business outcomes.
• The ripple effect of chronic negativity. Culture is created by the worst behaviors tolerated. Discover the widespread impact of allowing and projecting negativity.
• Addressing the problem early. Master techniques to identify and address negative behaviors early and effectively.
• Strategies for managing negativity. Manage negativity in your team and in your own behavior on an ongoing basis.
• Harnessing the power of civility and respect. Build a foundation of trust through cooperation, and deploy strategies to recognize, praise and maintain civil behavior.
• Create a harmonious work environment. Foster a positive, collaborative culture that boosts morale and productivity.

A class-action lawsuit filed against Uber for tax fraud under IRC § 7434 may be a cautionary tale for every business hiring independent contractors.

2026 may yet become the year Washington approves some form of paid leave, if the slew of recently introduced legislative proposals is any indication. This week, we address proposed legislation that relies on grants to employers for implementing paid leave.

• I-9 modernization updates. Review recent changes to I-9 processes, including remote verification, E-Verify and the increased scrutiny of electronic I-9 systems provided by outside vendors.
• ICE visits and raid preparation. Know exactly what to do before ICE drops by, including spotting and fixing I-9 problems, or simply knowing when your business can deny entry while serving patients, students and customers.
• Correcting issues. Identify and address missing or incomplete Forms I-9 and other common issues.
• Changing work authorizations. Learn all about rapidly changing work authorizations as DHS moves fast to change terms and withdraw immigration permissions, sometimes at a moment’s notice.
• Increased enforcement. Learn tactics to navigate the new ICE taskforces and Homeland Security’s I-9 audit quotas leading to dramatic increases in enforcement activity.
• Avoid operational impacts. Discover steps that can be taken now to avoid the impact of losing your workforce in a sudden raid or I-9 audit.
• Employer liability and joint employment. Explore government priorities around criminal prosecution of employers and a continued emphasis on joint employment with staffing agencies and contractors.
• Answers to YOUR questions. In a recent webinar, numerous questions were asked of the presenter. Bring your unique questions and get all of them answered.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has spent the better part of a year pursuing employers’ diversity, equity and inclusion policies, calling them illegal. Federal contractors were an obvious early target. The EEOC has now widened its playing field.