What about rules requiring employees to cover tattoos or remove facial and/or tongue jewelry during business hours and during patient interactions? We would like our employees to present a very professional appearance and feel like these things don’t reflect that.
Approximately 46 million workers can now take time off for medical care, having or adding a child to their family, and a dizzying array of other reasons, thanks to state and local paid-leave laws enacted over the past two decades.
With changes to DHS leadership underway, experts believe the next emphasis will be on employers and I-9 audits, like the raids that occurred early in 2025. Chris Thomas, partner at Holland & Hart, recently predicted this trend, saying, “We’re just at the beginning of the enforcement cycle now.”
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast over allegations that it illegally provides a networking event for female employees only, excluding all male workers. The agency called this sex discrimination and a violation of the Trump administration’s executive orders barring “illegal DEI” practices.
The U.S. labor market hit a rough patch in February, with nonfarm payroll employment dropping by 92,000—a sharp reversal from January’s gain of 126,000—according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Gain a clear understanding of the three levels of respect and how these traits show up at work.
• Speak with clarity and purpose in meetings and presentations while learning public-speaking strategies that earn respect and engagement.
• Communicate disagreement while maintaining high regard.
• Take ownership of your communication style and its impact.
• Shift etiquette from rule-based behavior to culture-shaping leadership.
• Clarify intent and expectations, reducing defensiveness and confusion.
• Set interactions up for success before they begin.
Back in 2015, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission became the first agency or court to conclude that Title VII’s sex-discrimination provisions included protection for individuals whose gender identity did not align with their sex assigned at birth. Fast-forward to 2026, and the same agency has overturned that decision.
While the Trump administration focuses on employer education and a new program allowing letters of interpretation for tricky safety questions, new OSHA head David Keeling wants to back those efforts with a robust inspection program.
• Directives from the Trump administration. Federal agencies like the EEOC, DOL and the NLRB are making big changes to handbook rules that speak to diversity, equity and inclusion—even those you changed in 2025.
• Supreme Court-related changes. Learn why and how to change your handbook policies on religious expression, reverse discrimination and accommodations.
• New kinds of discrimination. Handbook rules must be modified to include emerging forms of discrimination and recognize the potential for reverse-discrimination claims.
• Employee leave. What to include and what to leave out regarding FMLA, ADA and pregnancy accommodations.
• The fractured workplace. What happens when workers disagree on topics like politics and religion now that the administration is encouraging such workplace expression? Handbook policies that set reasonable conduct rules can create a more harmonious workplace.
• Speech and civility rules. When you can restrict what employees say and when you can’t (salaries, politics, hate speech, etc.).
• Dress and grooming. Learn how to set rules on appropriate behavior, attire and decor when it comes to both in-person and remote appearances.
• Sexual and other harassment. Even if employees are remote, you need rules on email, telework, texting and off-site meetings.
A federal court settlement over endometriosis sends a message to employers that they should not ignore accommodation requests involving female reproductive health and its complications.
