News

A survey of more than 300 in-house lawyers, HR professionals and executives found that regulatory and political shifts are reshaping workplace priorities. Many employers say the evolving landscape has forced them to reconsider workforce strategies, compliance efforts and hiring plans as they try to navigate new federal and state policies.

One of the most frustrating HR problems for employers operating across state lines is managing different state and city paid-leave laws in the absence of at least a federal minimum standard. Now, Congress is considering enacting legislation to help.

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.

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.

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.