Employees who take FMLA leave are protected from retaliation for doing so. That’s led to the mistaken belief among some employees that they can’t be disciplined or fired while on leave. That’s not the case—if you can show you would have disciplined or fired the worker even if she wasn’t on leave.

In recent years, the number of days when the temperature reaches dangerous highs has increased, and more workers have succumbed to heat-related illnesses. To help employers provide a safe workplace, OSHA has created a resource page, Heat Illness Prevention, full of preventive tips.

We use an applicant tracking system to help with screening and hiring. Until recently, we were able to link the ATS privacy policy to notify applicants of their privacy rights to the information they submit. They have now told us we need to link to our own privacy policy. Can we adopt theirs (copy and paste) as our own?

The EEOC takes discrimination against women because of their unique reproductive characteristics seriously, as a recent lawsuit settlement shows.

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When conversations around workplace equity stall or spark conflict, it’s often not because someone is unwilling to engage, but because people are starting from entirely different premises. A new Pew Research Center report highlights how vastly Americans’ perceptions of discrimination differ across political, demographic and social lines.

Hiring someone with work authorization that expires may mean more monitoring on the employer’s part. But preferring citizens or permanent residents over others for convenience violates both Title VII and our immigration laws.

Your employee referral program could backfire if it leads to too many employees who are alike in terms of sex, race, age or other protected characteristics. In fact, courts regularly penalize companies that rely too heavily on employee referral programs, saying they foster homogeneous workforces and perpetuate discrimination.

• Directives from the new administration. You may have to undo recent changes, especially if you’re a federal contractor or subcontractor.
• Supreme Court-related changes. Learn why and how to change your handbook policies on religious expression and accommodations.
• 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? 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.
• Different rules in your state. This may be the most difficult handbook area to navigate as what states say you must include clashes with federal mandates.

A recent court ruling related to FMLA leave and pregnancy holds vital lessons for employers.