News

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.

New Hampshire recently passed an entirely new unpaid leave law, while Maryland has again delayed implementation of its own.

Progressive discipline plans are great for correcting the behavior of employees in whom you have invested time and money and getting them back on track. But always leave yourself an “out” for those cases when retaining the worker just doesn’t make sense.

The EEOC and the Department of Justice have been stamping out diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federal contractors’ and even private employers’ employment policies. New guidance from the DOJ for federal contractors clarifies how antidiscrimination laws apply to programs or initiatives involving discriminatory practices, including DEI programs.

Five states and the District of Columbia have changed their paid leave laws to provide greater protection for workers and greater burdens for employers.

When Paramount sought to merge with Skydance, an apparent condition precedent for approval by the Federal Communications Commission was that the resulting merged organization eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion programs or initiatives.

A well-written, thoughtfully crafted employee handbook is one of the most important tools you have for making sure your organization can defend itself in court. However, like any form of documentation, it’s possible for your handbook to be used against you.