EEOC drops bid to press Penn for Jewish employee information

The Latest

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  This week in 5 numbers: Nearly 7 in 10 workers say they question their ability to retire comfortably

  Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week — including how many companies are spending less on new hires and more on artificial intelligence.

  Talent

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  Electrician files harassment lawsuit against former employer, supervisor

  The plaintiff, who worked at the Hanford Vit Plant in Richland, Washington, allegedly faced repeated incidents of sexual harassment on the jobsite.

  Compliance

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  Labor Department proposes rule expanding disclosure e-delivery for employer plans

  The rule pitched Wednesday would make it easier for group health plans regulated by ERISA to share mandatory notices with their members. A DOL official called the proposal a “big step forward.”

  Comp & Benefits

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  More than half of workers say they’ve considered accepting a lower offer after a layoff

  Glassdoor findings show a potential worsening of the gender pay gap through layoffs.

  Talent

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  Workers who direct AI agents outperform peers who simply delegate to them

  Even when other skill sets were identical, the ability to judge artificial intelligence output made a critical difference in performance, per a study from KPMG and University of Texas at Austin.

  Talent

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  What 10 leading restaurant companies pay their CEOs — and their hourly workers

  Median hourly compensation hovers near, and sometimes below, the poverty line, while leading restaurant CEOs earn tens of millions.

  Talent

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  Federal HR office lost more than a third of its workforce during Trump’s second term, GAO reports

  The watchdog said the losses hampered “operational capacity” at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and “risk worsening pre-existing skills gaps.”

  Talent

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  Men use outside job offers to negotiate pay while women do not, per Swedish study

  Researchers recommended implementing structured wage-setting practices that reduce the role of bargaining in setting pay.

  Talent

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  1 in 4 workers stay in unwanted jobs for health coverage, survey finds

  More Americans are keeping jobs they would otherwise leave for fear of losing their insurance, as healthcare costs rise and nonemployer coverage seems less affordable, according to a new poll.

  Comp & Benefits

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  The ‘average’ mind doesn’t exist: How work experts are thinking about neurodiversity

  HR may need to bridge the gap when it comes to their workforce’s empathy and understanding for neurodiverse workers. 

  Diversity & Inclusion

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  New grads have to compete with AI for entry-level roles, hiring managers say

  Nearly half of organizations now ask a senior worker plus AI to do the work of several entry-level grads, per a new report.

  Talent

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  AI skills gap persists despite widening personal use

  Companies assuming employees will bring AI skills into their jobs will set themselves up to fail, according to CompTIA Vice President of Research Seth Robinson. 

  Talent

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  Retirement benefits suffer from lack of engagement, not trust, NFP says

  The findings come as more U.S. workers are “off track” for retirement, according to the Aon-owned broker.

  Comp & Benefits

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  H-1B visa program hits 2027 cap

  While the second Trump administration has stepped up its efforts to discourage use of the program, many top employers continue to take advantage of it.

  HR Management

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  3rd Circuit: Employers need not ‘go digging for disabilities’

  A midnight-shift employee fired for sleeping on the job mentioned fatigue and dry eye too late to properly invoke the Americans with Disabilities Act, the appeals court said.

  Compliance

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  Peak office use hits 80%, topping pre-pandemic levels, CBRE says

  Driving the gains are attendance policies and managers doing a better job matching space with what employees want, the company says.

  Talent

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  EEOC to propose rule ending EEO-1 reporting, invites public comment

  The agency voted 2-1 Tuesday to propose a rule that would scrap employer demographic data reporting requirements.

  Updated July 21, 2026

  Compliance

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  Lack of manager support may be a critical development gap

  Less than a third of the 1,000 professionals surveyed by the American Management Association said their managers were “highly effective.”

  Talent

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  Front-line workers say they don’t mind AI but want transparency

  Most employees said their trust in an organization depended on how it explained its AI use.

  Talent

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  How L&D and workforce readiness are connected

  SHRM said “skills strategists” tend to align L&D to business priorities and create learning experiences that are relevant and accessible.

  Talent

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  Amazon FMLA snafu led to firing of employee who took leave to care for wife, lawsuit claims

  The plaintiff alleged that he repeatedly contacted Amazon’s HR staff to correct the error to no avail.

  Compliance

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  Judge recommends trimming EEOC lawsuit, leaving one failure-to-accommodate claim

  The magistrate judge found insufficient evidence for EEOC’s retaliation and disparate treatment claims in the 2024 lawsuit.

  Compliance

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  Work feels like a ‘situationship,’ employees say

  Employees responding to a survey said they don’t feel like their employers are committed to retaining them long term.

  Talent

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  Settled: 4 lawsuits that ended in payouts this month

  The settlements ranged from $150,000 to $2 million, court records show.

  Compliance

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  Week in review: Meta’s AI systems ‘disproportionately’ selected certain workers for layoffs

  We’re rounding up last week’s stories, including a $2 million sexual harassment settlement.

  Talent

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