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What should an employer do when confronted with a demand to fire an employee over social media posts that may attract unwanted attention to their employer?

We were approached by a member of the public who claims an employee of ours made a social media post about the killing of Charlie Kirk, requesting that we fire him. The problem is he’s a former employee and not a current one, but apparently his social media footprint still lists him as our employee. What can we do?

September is National Recovery Month, highlighting the work being done to help Americans recover from often-devastating addictions to drugs and alcohol. It’s a good time to review your policies on detecting, preventing and eliminating drug abuse in the workplace to make sure you’re doing so the legal way.

Littler’s 2025 Labor Day Report points to a year defined by legal battles, state-level countermeasures and ongoing questions about the balance of power between employers, workers and regulators. These are the major trends to watch, according to the law firm.

On Sept. 4, the Federal Trade Commission launched a public inquiry into how noncompetes affect workers and employers—while simultaneously ordering a major company to stop enforcing restrictive contracts on nearly 1,800 employees. Just one day later, however, the agency backed away from defending its broader Non-Compete Clause Rule in court, leaving employers to navigate a patchwork of evolving restrictions and enforcement risks.

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.

We have a former employee in Florida who is requesting several things from her personnel file. I believe this is not a law in Florida, as it is in California, that we need to provide a former employee access to their file. Are we legally obligated to provide anything to this employee?

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”?

Social media activity—from an employee’s seemingly harmless TikTok to a CEO’s ill-advised Instagram story—can trigger lawsuits, government investigations or viral outrage that damages a brand overnight. For HR professionals, managing these risks is now a core part of the role.

One in five companies has eliminated DEI programs, and another 10% have scaled back investments. These changes are largely driven by political pressures, with 74% of decision-makers citing the shift in climate as the primary reason for reductions.