Amid a confidence crisis, Gen Z workers lack career mentorship, report finds

When asked what they desire in a mentor, young workers highlighted communication, empathy and honesty, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and The Harris Poll said.

US faces shortfall of 5.3M college-educated workers by 2032

Nursing, teaching and engineering would experience the largest gaps, per a study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.

HR manager’s bias concerns weren’t the basis for her firing, 6th Circuit finds

A four-month gap between the time the plaintiff messaged higher-ups and her firing was “too long” to show causation, the court concluded.

EEOC: Cheerwine bottling company fired an employee because of her MS, despite doctor’s clearance

The company also ran afoul of the ADA when it required the employee to take a physical agility test designed to elicit impermissible medical information, according to the lawsuit.

Top talent quitting due to stalled career growth, survey shows

As leaders focus on hiring challenges, they may miss the talent crisis inside their organizations, Workday said.

Gartner predicts Fortune 500 companies won’t eliminate human agents anytime soon

“At the end of the day do we think there will be fewer agents? Yes. But a fully agentless future is not going to happen,” Gartner’s Kathy Ross said.

Employers say they are staying the course instead of hiring right now

Nearly half of employers surveyed by ManpowerGroup said that attracting qualified applicants remains their biggest hurdle.

UPS worker’s age, sex bias claims can’t overcome company’s harassment findings

The plaintiff alleged he was fired just two months shy of his retirement plan vesting, but a female co-worker reported an “unsettling experience” during a training session with him.

Kroger faces FMLA, PUMP Act lawsuit after allegedly transferring employee returning from parental leave

An assistant store manager alleged retaliation and a lack of accommodations for pregnancy and pumping.

LinkedIn, OpenAI muscle their way into the AI recruiting fray

LinkedIn’s Hiring Assistant, which has been available to a small group of customers for about a year, will be globally available by the end of September.

Amid hiring freezes, HR leaders turn to internal mobility and upskilling

“We’re seeing a clear shift in how HR leaders are approaching talent needs,” the president of Careerminds said.

Texas A&M fires professor after viral video, raising free speech concerns

The termination came the day after a state lawmaker shared the clip and accused the professor of perpetuating "DEI and LGBTQ indoctrination.”

FTC warns healthcare companies about restrictive noncompete contracts

FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson has sent letters to an unspecified number of large healthcare employers and staffing firms asking them to review their employment contracts.

HR records in the cloud can create a perfect storm

A management-side attorney says she is increasingly seeing cases where decisive documents — ones that could have resolved a dispute early — were not retained.

8 religious rights stories that define summer 2025

Employees are filing a variety of lawsuits that challenge workplace policies and bring sensitive issues like bodily autonomy, respect for others and free expression to the fore.

This week in 5 numbers: Hopeful employees are more likely to produce great work

Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week of HR news — including what share of HR pros think their workforce has the right skills.

2026 raises expected to hold steady, compensation leaders report

“Today’s labor market is one of recalibration, not retreat,” an economist at The Conference Board said.

Older job seekers’ complaints about ageism have skyrocketed, Glassdoor says

Recruiting pros could analyze the ways that older job seekers are kept out of the workforce to adjust their own hiring processes.

CHROs should take a more active role in digital security, Gartner advises

“Many CHROs do not have strong digital awareness and are struggling to lead and influence AI and digital transformation,” a Gartner analyst said.

Appeals court rules that Georgia county can exclude gender-affirming surgeries from insurance coverage

In a rehearing, the court reversed its May 2024 opinion, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial U.S. v. Skrmetti decision from June. 

Earned wage access should be free

“This industry simply cannot continue to charge employees to access their pay,” writes a fintech founder. “We cannot expect employers to deduct these fees from paychecks through payroll.”

Merck manager’s awkward whispers didn’t constitute harassment, judge rules

The plaintiff, who spoke with a “heavy African accent,” said a manager’s comment that his voice is “very specific” was discriminatory.

Tesla’s former DEI lead has some advice about fear in the workplace

Kristen Kavanaugh shares her story and lessons learned from the journey with HR Dive.

Only half of employees feel hopeful about the future of work, survey shows

“Employees everywhere are struggling to feel good about the trajectory of their careers,” O.C. Tanner said in its report.

Salesforce still sees a place for live customer service agents after massive cuts

The company slashed about 4,000 customer service agents as its use of AI picked up, but CEO Marc Benioff still expects people and AI to work together.