Some industries and workplaces are at higher than usual risk for discrimination and harassment claims. Any workplace that has a largely homogeneous workforce may create special risks for the few workers who are different.

You can be charged with retaliation even if the past protected activity had nothing to do with your organization.

Make it a standard practice to retain every written document concerning employee complaints. If an employee ends up suing you, he may try to embellish the facts—or worse.

• Understand the growing role of ChatGPT and other AI tools in emails, reports, proposals and other business communications.
• Learn what AI does well—and where it falls short—when it comes to style, accuracy and clarity.
• Avoid plagiarism, bias, misinformation and other potential legal landmines.
• Discover best practices for drafting AI guidelines and integrating human oversight.
• Learn strategies to enhance, not replace, your writing with AI tools.
• Gain tips for clear, correct and compelling writing—supported by, not surrendered to, AI.

Effective August 7, regional NLRB offices will first check whether an alleged unfair labor practice falls within a collective bargaining agreement and could be resolved under the contract.

HR teams are stuck juggling outdated systems, limited staffing and rising employee expectations, while employees are often left unclear on their options, timelines or pay. The fastest path to relief? Use technology to streamline leave from start to finish without losing the human touch.

• 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.
• Raid preparation. Know exactly what to do before ICE drops by, including spotting and fixing I-9 problems.
• Correcting issues. Identify and address missing or incomplete Forms I-9 and other common issues.
• 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.
• 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.

By now, you likely have heard about the Trump administration’s renewal and expansion of the Payroll Audit Independent Determination program. Employers should know that there is another DOL-sanctioned option that’s especially useful if they’re not quite sure that what they have done is a violation.

Is it acceptable to state: “Employees have seven calendar days to report a covered absence. Absences not reported within seven calendar days can still be counted towards FMLA/ADA/PWFA; however, the employee will be held accountable for failure to report in a timely manner”?

A recently filed case puts a different spin on telework accommodations. A disabled employee asked to return to the office five days a week as her accommodation.