Talent trends in 2025 so far: Training, AI and diversity

More workers are angling to grow their skills — not just for their current roles but for their future careers, one expert said.

Workday pushes AI branding in ‘strategic’ Paradox acquisition

Paradox boasts clients such as Wendy’s, 7-Eleven and GM and is widely known for its “conversational AI” assistant Olivia. 

The 2025 midyear HR checkup: Layoffs, DEI pivots and a ‘tricky’ AI future

A large-scale divestment from people initiatives has left HR teams in an uncomfortable spot, one expert told HR Dive.

66% of workers say AI leaders would create more fair and efficient workplaces

Employees said algorithmic leadership could reduce human bias, but many still want human leaders in situations that involve empathy, motivation and ethical decision-making.

USPS worker’s intermittent FMLA certification didn’t place a hard cap on unforeseen leave, 6th Circuit says

A physician advised USPS that the plaintiff’s symptoms flared up twice per month, but the court held that this note alone did not create an exact limit.

Kwik Trip pays $35K in EEOC settlement

The Midwestern convenience retailer was accused of not providing reasonable accommodations for an employee with a medical restriction.

Smithfield Meats said it doesn’t provide pregnancy-related accommodations, EEOC alleges

The company allegedly fired a laborer after she asked to be relieved from lifting due to pregnancy-related bleeding, according to an EEOC lawsuit.

Half of workers say they got a job through a connection

Tapping relationships for a job was considered more helpful than using job boards, social media, recruiters and staffing firms, a report found.

EEOC seeks to enforce subpoenas against school district that sued agency over bias probe

The news comes just weeks after New Mexico’s Gallup-McKinley County Schools sued the commission, alleging that its investigation exceeded EEOC’s authority.

Collection, not public disclosure, may doom Illinois demographic data law

Anti-DEI collective American Alliance for Equal Rights alleged that SB2930 violates the First and 14th Amendments.

CFO turnover spikes after record CEO exits last year

Starbucks is among the public companies that have named a new CFO this year following a CEO departure.

1 in 3 companies say AI will run their hiring process by 2026

But more than half of companies surveyed by Resume.org expressed concerns about AI screening out qualified candidates or introducing bias.

Few HR pros can detect fake job candidate information, survey shows

Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters said they’ve already encountered fake or misleading candidate details during the hiring process, Equifax found.

AI hiring tools push tech workers to reconsider the industry, new data shows

Nearly 1 in 3 IT professionals said they might leave the industry altogether as AI screening tools muddy the hiring process, a Dice survey found.

3 DEI approaches employers must reconsider to avoid federal ire

The principles set forth in a recent DOJ memo are likely to be applied by the EEOC to all employers under Title VII, attorney Jonathan Segal writes.

This week in 5 numbers: Which human skills are critical for AI success

Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week of HR news — including what share of workers would rather be managed by artificial intelligence than a person.

‘Daunting’ healthcare costs exceed employer projections and could hit employees, analysts say

“Passing cost increases is a Band-Aid approach,” Business Group on Health President and CEO Ellen Kelsay said. “It does not fix the long-term cost dynamic.”

Hackers target Workday in social engineering attack

The hackers work by impersonating IT and human-resources personnel to trick employees into sharing their personal information and account credentials, Workday said.

Managers risk loss of trust by over-relying on AI-written messages, study finds

Messages communicating praise or personal feedback should be handled with a minimum of technological intervention, according to a recent report.

Employers face operational risks as executive talent gap widens, report shows

To fight it, employers are recalibrating their approach to executive compensation and benefits strategies, consulting firm NFP said.

Gay ex-employee for NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks claims bias motivated his firing

The plaintiff, a public relations staffer, alleged the team reprimanded him for participating in an interview in which he discussed his sexual orientation.

Luxury Santa Monica hotel accused of not paying workers minimum wage

A class-action lawsuit claims Santa Monica Proper did not follow wage requirements set forth in the California city’s hotel worker wage ordinance.

Immigration policy changes squeeze an already understaffed long-term care industry

The senior care industry can’t afford to lose potential workers, experts said.

Only 1 in 4 front-line workers think senior leaders understand their work

Companies can “bridge the gap between leadership and front-line staff, fostering stronger communication, trust and alignment,” ZipRecruiter says.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act must be enforced in Texas after all, 5th Circuit says

However, a district judge’s May decision to vacate EEOC’s interpretation of the law that protects elective abortions still stands.