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If you supervise employees in any capacity, there will come a time when you need to let someone go. Here are some tips for making the best of a bad situation and avoiding legal trouble in the process.

The rise of tools like ChatGPT has made it easier than ever to draft reports, emails and even job postings in minutes. But speed doesn’t always translate to quality. HR managers must lead their teams in using AI responsibly—balancing efficiency with accuracy, professionalism and compliance.

Employees who are absent for an FMLA-covered reason are required to provide employers with enough information in their notice to demonstrate the need for FMLA leave. Most employers expect the employee to call in before the beginning of the shift, mentioning FMLA leave. But what happens if you count the absence against the employee because she only reported that she was ill?

We have a team member who currently has a certified intermittent FMLA in progress, stating she could have to have up to six episodes for her condition per year. She is having more frequent episodes that are lasting longer than usual and was recently hospitalized for a short time. Should we ask to have an updated certificate of health-care provider done?

Want to make sure discipline sticks? Then details matter. It’s far easier to defend a termination decision if you can show the court that you specifically pointed out the employee’s work problems and offered an opportunity to improve instead of simply terminating her.

Despite the existence of two laws prohibiting discrimination against pregnant women—the passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act in 1978, then the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act in 2023—employers continue to ignore these laws. Now, the EEOC has taken notice and litigation is ramping up, as one court case proves.

Should the judge rule for the employer, the EEOC would effectively be unable to file new systemic-discrimination cases against employers until the EEOC reaches a quorum.

The DOL has proposed eliminating the agency by cutting funding and staff other than those programs that add veterans and enforce the Rehabilitation Act.