An employer may be responsible for birth defects allegedly caused by its workers’ exposure to toxic chemicals, a state appeals court in Illinois has ruled. This case involves Marcus Ledeaux and Enrique Daniel Araballo, who each had a parent who…
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A new OSHA rule – the so-called “walkaround” rule – clarifies that employees may designate a non-employee third party, such as a union rep, to be their representative and accompany OSHA inspectors during workplace safety inspections. The final rule was…
In an increasingly competitive talent war, you may feel like you’ve tried every trick in the book to attract, hire and retain top talent. If you feel like you’ve implemented every new tactic and are still seeing high turnover and…
A termination is justified if an employee is caught stealing, right? Not necessarily. This case shows that everything isn’t black and white — especially when managers make mistakes during the termination process. Key takeaways for HR: Not every manager has received…
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed into law SB 1515, which amends the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) and the Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) program. The amended legislation, which aims to reduce leave stacking and better align the two overlapping leave…
Are imposter syndrome, self-doubt, insecurity or other limiting beliefs holding you back from taking action in your HR career? "All of us are doing this in one form or another. ... Fear of conflict, of failure, judgment, rejection, other people's…
After years of paltry wage increases that barely keep pace with inflation, it looks like employees would be willing to take some crazy sacrifices for a 10% raise. Just how much would workers be willing to give up for a…
A federal court in Texas addressed safety training claims raised by a Home Depot worker who was injured while using a ladder to retrieve a bag of firewood. Notably, the court rejected a claim that the store did not provide…
The use of recreational and medical marijuana is an evolving area of employment law, which can make things a bit tricky for employers trying to maintain safe working conditions. In light of the rapidly changing laws, a lot of folks…
When an ADA accommodation claim is based on the denial of a request to be excused from performing a specific job function, there’s one defense that works best. The ideal response for the employer: Excusing performance of the job function…
In a world where disruption is the norm, it's imperative for HR to align the organization's culture and brand. The companies that have been successful over a sustained period of time all have culture and brand alignment in common, according…
As an HR pro, you know the importance of remaining professional while interviewing an internal candidate. That includes both avoiding certain topics and asking the right questions. But at some point in your career, you might’ve sat in on an…
In one of the latest woke training lawsuits, a Colorado employee claimed his employer’s mandatory DEI training created a hostile work environment. When the case reached the Tenth Circuit, the appeals court affirmed a ruling in the employer’s favor. Even…
AI is a tremendously powerful – and potentially helpful – tool for HR pros. But as an ongoing court case in Massachusetts shows, it comes with dangers that are sometimes hard to detect – and can land employers in court…
The ADP Research Institute (ADPRI) analyzed the occupations of nearly 18 million workers in the U.S. to identify the 16 most popular job titles of 2023. To make it fun, ADPRI announced them using a "Business Card Bracket" format similar…
This case involves a tragedy that may – or may not – have been avoidable. Either way, it wasn’t a good look for the company, and it shows how crucial it is to provide regular training to managers. Pregnant worker…
