Seattle’s DEI initiative may have created hostile work environment, 9th Circuit finds

The Latest

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  EEOC seeks subpoena enforcement against Hyundai over alleged refusal to hire non-Koreans

  The filing comes at the same time that the commission has made national origin discrimination a prominent part of its regulatory agenda.

  Compliance

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  Sponsored by WEX Benefits

  What data says about the who, what, when, where and why of open enrollment education

  Stop guessing this open enrollment! Use employee data to boost benefits education and engagement.

  Comp & Benefits

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  NLRB returns to first Trump-era employee misconduct framework

  Following a mandate from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the agency applied the framework it tried to argue against in 2023.

  Compliance

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  Insurers say AI could add billions in health costs. Billing companies disagree.

  When payers shell out more for care, premiums increase and those costs cascade to employers and patients.

  Comp & Benefits

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  Opinion

  The doctor’s note is vague. What should the employer do next?

  Employers get into trouble when they treat an incomplete note as a verdict, writes Rachel Shaw, an ADA compliance expert.

  Compliance

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  6 recent ADA lawsuits

  Court orders have shown there are limits to workers’ discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

  Compliance

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  How can employers create a positive workplace culture?

  “We cannot keep extracting more from employees and expect their capacity to be limitless,” one O.C. Tanner Institute leader said.

  Talent

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  DOL provides guidance to employers on responding to opioid overdoses

  The guidance is part of the Great American Recovery Initiative, an effort by the Trump administration focused on addiction treatment and recovery.

  HR Management

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  Week in review: The bait-and-switch gap in recruiting

  We’re rounding up last week’s stories, including one about the shrinking leadership pipeline.

  Talent

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  What to do when a team says it’s short-staffed

  Hiring is not always the answer — and it could actually invite more trouble if underlying causes of workload strain aren’t addressed, experts said.

  Talent

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  4 stories on the power of personality at work

  It can be difficult to quantify personality's effects in the workplace despite its importance.

  Talent

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  Ollie’s Bargain Outlet allegedly refused to hire deaf worker, required ‘ability to hear regularly’

  This case is one of several involving deaf job candidates that highlights the danger of assumptions about ability.

  Updated Sept. 25, 2026

  Diversity & Inclusion

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  This week in 5 numbers: CHROs say AI creates ‘invisible’ work

  Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week — including how big the pay gap is for Black women.

  Compliance

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  Should workers be paid for AI skills?

  Companies could face a “retention time bomb” if existing workers see new hires get paid more for tech expertise, Payscale found.

  Comp & Benefits

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  Employees report performative AI use amid role changes

  Pressure to use the technology exists all across the enterprise, but employees are concerned about job loss and a lack of paths to advancement, a Visier study found.

  Talent

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  In the AI era, organizations must redesign work in real time, Gartner says

  HR should prioritize talent mobility so skills and capabilities can be rapidly deployed where they are needed, the report recommended.

  Talent

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  Nearly half of workers say they don’t want AI in payroll

  Artificial intelligence’s use in total rewards remains in the early stages, reports have shown.

  Comp & Benefits

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  Language that evoked slavery keeps front desk worker’s hostile work environment claim alive

  Courts may scrutinize ineffective employer responses to harassment in their analysis of such cases, previous rulings have shown.

  Compliance

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  Nearly half of CFOs say they’d go with AI over a gut feeling

  In a survey by enterprise planning firm Board, finance chiefs were likelier than CIOs and COOs to follow a recommendation from an AI tool if it “conflicts with their instinct.”

  HR Management

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  The wage gap is definitively widening, especially for Black women, study finds

  These National Women’s Law Center findings come amid sustained unemployment for Black women, catalyzed by 2025 federal worker cuts. 

  Diversity & Inclusion

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  IBM report warns AI could erode human skills deemed vital by CHROs

  It’s not the first time the technology’s potential effects on employee cognition have raised alarm.

  Talent

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  Employees use AI, but many say they don’t know why

  Since workload rates remain steady across users and nonusers of artificial intelligence, companies need to reexamine their overall ROI, a vice president at Culture Amp said.

  Talent

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  Maryland governor’s AI framework focuses on regulation and reskilling

  While the framework Gov. Wes Moore established begins with forming committees and gathering stakeholders, Maryland already has one law regulating the technology at work.

  Compliance

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  Judge tosses former Purdue diversity chief’s race bias and retaliation claims

  The executive offered up three colleagues as similarly situated comparators — and the judge dismissed all three.

  Updated Sept. 24, 2026

  Compliance

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  Workers say they are frustrated by bait-and-switch job descriptions

  When a role's responsibilities don’t match hiring language or a position’s expectations change significantly, it can lead to stress and burnout, employees reported. 

  Talent

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  HR leaders worry about the loss of critical leadership skill development

  The entry-level worker pipeline is shrinking and more tasks are being given to artificial intelligence, resulting in fewer learning opportunities for younger workers, a report found.

  Talent

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