News

Since taking office, President Trump has aggressively issued orders seeking to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from the federal government—and now from the private sector, too. To avoid potential federal scrutiny, you may want to consider revising your DEI programs and how they are described in your handbook.

The EEOC has asked federal courts to drop lawsuits it previously filed alleging that employees experienced workplace discrimination and harassment because they are transgender. It’s a significant reversal for the EEOC in the early days of the Trump administration.

Be careful about ordering disabled employees to return to the office. The EEOC just sued an employer that insisted on requiring everyone to come back to the office, despite some having disabilities.

The first weeks of the Trump administration have been marked by dramatic policy reversals across dozens of Cabinet-level agencies. Expect more incremental change at the U.S. Department of Labor.

Two upcoming religious holidays make it an opportune time for employers to review the laws regarding religious accommodations.

An employee has recently provided two weeks’ notice of his intent to resign. Can I tell the worker that he is not needed for the two weeks and avoid paying him for that time?

Under the ADA, employers don’t have to go along with an accommodation that is unreasonable—one that, in the terminology of the ADA, “causes an undue hardship.” If you reject what you consider an unreasonable accommodation, be ready to explain why.

The letter acknowledges that under the FMLA, employees can elect to use accrued vacation, sick and workers’ comp leave for unpaid FMLA leave, and employers can require it. This substitution runs concurrent with FMLA leave until the entitlement is used up.

Attorney General Pam Bondi is launching a nationwide investigation of private-sector employers that conduct activities designed to foster diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in their workplaces, a process that Bondi said could result in criminal charges against companies.

In a statement, acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said the EEOC “is returning to its mission of protecting women from sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination in the workplace by rolling back the Biden administration’s gender identity agenda.” But issuing a press release does not change official policy.