For employers that rely on H-1B talent, a federal judge's decision to vacate the $100,000 H-1B fee removes a significant hiring barrier, though the legal fight is likely far from over. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston struck down…
Employment Law
Illinois' Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act took effect on June 1, providing employees with children in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with unpaid, job-protected leave. For Payroll, that means new administration, coding and tracking requirements for the new…
A new DOL opinion letter addresses off-the-clock work, rounding policies, and the de minimis defense – and the conclusions should prompt a hard look at pre-shift timekeeping practices. The question came from a public hospital with roughly 18,000 non-exempt workers.…
Does dual-role scheduling put your overtime compliance at risk? A new DOL opinion letter says it depends on the specific facts of the arrangement. The question came from an academic medical center, but the answer applies broadly to any employer…
A national trucking company has agreed to pay $5.5 million to resolve claims that it refused to hire qualified female drivers across the U.S., according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The alleged sex discrimination has occurred for at…
A paper products manufacturer with a plant in Inola, OK, will pay $80,000 to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced. Harassment Continued After Internal Complaint, EEOC Says Sofidel…
When a harassment or retaliation complaint surfaces, most HR professionals immediately focus on the facts. What happened? Who knew? Did anybody witness it? Should there be disciplinary action taken? Was the appropriate disciplinary action taken? But sometimes a lawsuit doesn’t…
Nearly a decade after #MeToo ignited a global reckoning around workplace harassment, there was hope that workplaces would look fundamentally different — where employees, regardless of background, could show up without worrying about misconduct and retaliation. But we’re in 2026,…
The Department of Labor (DOL) has finalized a technical amendment restoring the 2019 overtime salary threshold to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) following two federal court decisions that invalidated the 2024 rule. For HR and payroll teams, the amendment…
A physical therapy and rehabilitation clinic in Hawaii recently learned an expensive lesson about overtime compliance after a federal investigation found it shortchanged 32 employees. The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage and Hour Division investigated First Physical & Functional…
When employers outsource Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) administration to a third-party administrator (TPA), compliance responsibility stays with them. A recent federal case out of Wisconsin shows how quickly weak TPA oversight can lead to interference and retaliation claims.…
A federal contractor headquartered in Washington, D.C., will pay $1.25 million to settle a national origin discrimination lawsuit filed on behalf of Hispanic workers who were fired, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced. Some affected individuals had been…
An Oregon restaurant recently learned a costly lesson about overtime and tip pool rules after a federal investigation found it had shortchanged 19 employees. The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage and Hour Division investigated Taste of India 1, a…
On April 22, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) released a proposed rule for determining when multiple employers may be held jointly liable. For HR professionals, the proposal has significant implications for how your…
When most HR leaders picture FMLA retaliation, they think of a termination letter. But it can also come disguised as a "choice"— resign or be fired. That's what the DOL said happened at the University of Tennessee, where an employee…
Missed payroll is a federal wage violation. A Newport Beach construction contractor learned that the hard way; it was ordered to pay $468,505 after the DOL found 137 workers went without pay and overtime. The case broadens the usual wage…
