Employee fired for false expense report not entitled to severance pay, court rules

Lilly USA appropriately denied the claim under ERISA because its severance pay plan expressly excluded employees terminated for falsifying a report, a federal court held.

‘Lean on the law’: Attorneys urge employers to stay the course on DEI

Use Title VII and company values as your North Star, experts said at an employment law event Thursday.

EEOC kicks back into gear, settles harassment claims against chicken shop

An Arkansas restaurant operator ignored complaints against a shift manager, leading to even more complaints over the span of just a few months, the commission claimed.

Equal protection, elevated risk: How HR can prepare for an uptick in reverse discrimination claims

If your team has room for improvement in documentation, now is the time to make the necessary changes, writes Melanie Ronen, partner at Stradley Ronon.

IRS sets 401(k) annual contribution limit at $24,500 for 2026

Unlike last year, the agency also announced an increase to the contribution cap for individual retirement accounts.

‘Forever layoffs’ and RTO pressure: Employers hold the power again, Glassdoor says

That power isn’t necessarily exercised in loud or expansive moves but in quiet, consistent changes, the report showed.

Most executives say refusing to adopt AI poses bigger career threat to workers than AI itself

However, AI adoption will remain stalled without employee trust, training and defined benefits for workers, Kelly Services said.

The government’s reopening sounds a death knell for EEOC policies new and old

The agency’s newly installed Republican majority will be busy in the coming weeks, Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal, the lone Democrat on the commission, predicted Thursday.

Human recruiters ‘perfectly willing to accept’ AI’s biases, researcher says

A University of Washington study found that participants generally followed the hiring recommendations of biased large language models.

Real Brokerage reaches ‘settlement in principle’ in ex-CFO’s pregnancy suit

Under the deal that must still be finalized, the residential brokerage company said it will “make no payment” to the former finance chief who filed the discrimination suit.

No October jobs report will be published, the White House says. What do we know?

As of publication, BLS has not stated when it will release data it was able to collect, such as the jobs data for September.

1 in 3 US job listings go nowhere, creating a ‘ghost job economy,’ report finds

For employers, the gap between job openings and hires “raises serious credibility issues,” a MyPerfectResume career expert says.

Cost of living remains high — and wages haven’t kept up, experts say

“Coupled with today’s high costs, low wages leave many working people unable to afford basics such as groceries and gas — much less get ahead,” researchers with The Century Foundation said.

Starbucks Workers United launches 65-store strike

The union said its members are prepared for the longest and most serious strike in the brand’s history.

This week in 5 numbers: Caregivers say balancing their dual responsibilities hurts their career

Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week of HR news — including how salary history bans affect workers’ earnings.

Front-line workers are more difficult to find, train and retain, study says

Employers’ previous assumptions about how easily essential workers can be hired or replaced have become increasingly unreliable, according to a Josh Bersin report.

3 in 10 firms plan to replace workers with AI next year, survey finds

The industries most likely to see artificial intelligence-related layoffs include IT, financial services and accounting, per the study.

Companies focusing on credentials over skills may be left behind

Skills-first hiring should be treated as a companywide transformation rather than just an HR project, researchers said.

Two-thirds of full-time workers plan to take on extra work to afford the holidays

However, 39% said taking on more work has or will likely hurt their productivity at their full-time job.

Healthcare cost hikes in 2026 may be only slightly lower than 2025, WTW says

The increase remains “significantly higher” than the 7.6% seen in 2024.

Shadow AI is widespread — and executives use it the most

Employees in fields like healthcare and finance trust AI more than they trust their colleagues, according to a new report.

4 ways to tap into veteran talent and other career returners

Traditionally overlooked talent pools are fueling competitive advantage. Here’s how leaders can rethink hiring to strengthen their workforce.

Workers from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face barriers to inclusion

These employees reported significantly fewer opportunities for professional growth, according to Boston Consulting Group.

Caregivers say they are buckling under the weight of their second shift

Here’s how workers are “stretched thin,” according to Atlassian data and other reports.

FedEx may have interfered with worker’s FMLA rights, 11th Circuit holds

Had a worker known he could request intermittent leave under the law, he likely would not have been fired, the appeals court held, reversing the district court’s decision.