DOL proposes rule easing 401(k) investments in cryptocurrency, other alternative assets

The rule, which follows the direction of an executive order, would protect fiduciaries who select such investments “objectively, thoroughly, and analytically,” the department said.

By Emilie Shumway • March 31, 2026

HR can be ‘unreasonable’ as long as it’s not discriminatory, 5th Circuit says

Courts may disagree on whether a termination decision is fair, but that question does not determine legality, according to a March 26 decision.

By Ryan Golden • March 30, 2026

SCOTUS debates arbitration exemption for drivers who don’t cross state lines

Including intrastate drivers under the Federal Arbitration Act’s interstate commerce exemption would create uncertainty for companies, counsel for Flowers Foods told the justices.

By Ryan Golden • March 30, 2026

EEOC touts $15M agreement resolving COVID-19 vaccine bias claims

“There was no pandemic exception to workers’ civil rights and liberties,” Andrea Lucas, EEOC chair, said in a statement Tuesday.

By Emilie Shumway • March 27, 2026

Trump order directs federal contractors to dump DEI — or risk canceled contracts

Departments and agencies have until April 25 to insert a clause in their contracts that requires contractors and subcontractors to not engage in “racially discriminatory DEI activities.”

By Emilie Shumway • March 27, 2026

DOL seeks to hike H-1B visa holder wage rates to curb ‘abuse’ of program

Employers should expect the changes, which revive a regulatory effort from the first Trump era, to further disrupt their skilled worker hiring plans, one attorney said.

By Ryan Golden • March 27, 2026

Why paid sick leave is a DEI issue

A National Partnership for Women & Families report shows how the geography of “pre-emption” states can disproportionately affect certain groups.

By Caroline Colvin • March 25, 2026

Bimbo Bakeries can’t compel Massachusetts drivers to arbitrate misclassification claim

A federal district court said the drivers can pursue their state law case in court because they qualify as transportation workers excluded from coverage under the FAA.

By Laurel Kalser • March 23, 2026

DOL sends new joint employer rule to White House

The forthcoming rule is expected to be friendlier to employers than present Fair Labor Standards Act regulations, one attorney told HR Dive.

By Ryan Golden • March 23, 2026

A leader downplayed an HR investigation’s findings. What now?

It’s a difficult place for professionals to find themselves, attorneys told HR Dive, and moving forward requires understanding of both personal and organizational risks.

By Ryan Golden • March 23, 2026

Court doesn’t buy employer’s defense for not complying with race bias settlement

A Georgia school district said “qualified immunity” meant it couldn’t be sued for refusing to implement changes pursuant to its agreement with the plaintiff.

By Ryan Golden • March 20, 2026

Planned Parenthood of Illinois agrees to pay $500K after EEOC alleges DEI-based harassment

The organization’s president and CEO told HR Dive the alleged misconduct took place under prior leadership.

By Emilie Shumway • March 20, 2026

New Minnesota bill would require 90-day notice for AI that could displace workers

“Conversations with experts and industry leads indicate this displacement is only a matter of time,” Minnesota Rep. David Gottfried, the bill’s sponsor, told HR Dive.

By Caroline Colvin • March 19, 2026

A PIP is not always an adverse action under SCOTUS’ relaxed bias test, court says

The decision may demonstrate some of the limits of Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, which employer-side attorneys have argued favors plaintiffs alleging job discrimination.

By Ryan Golden • Updated March 23, 2026

Chinese engineer can’t pursue age, racial bias lawsuit, 10th Circuit affirms

The City of Tulsa, Oklahoma, chose a candidate with greater leadership experience for a management position, the appeals court said.

By Ginger Christ • March 18, 2026

Disney executive alleges HR combed his private coaching sessions for ‘dirt’

The exec butted heads with HR due to his “his direct, streamlined, and performance-driven leadership style,” a complaint alleged.

By Emilie Shumway • March 17, 2026

How a Florida pronoun bill could clash with Title VII

HR Dive’s Caroline Colvin digs a little deeper into the legal implications — or complications — of HB 641, or the proposed Freedom of Conscience in the Workplace Act.

By Caroline Colvin • March 17, 2026

Same-race bias, unbalanced DEI training: 4 lessons from recent Title VII cases

During last week’s National Employment Law Institute briefing, attorneys touched on how employers have messed up — or been saved — by their understanding of the law.

By Emilie Shumway • March 16, 2026

Feds keep marijuana tests for workers despite Trump reclassification order

Several years of legalization efforts at the state level have enhanced compliance concerns for employers.

By Ryan Golden • March 16, 2026

Meet the former feds operating a ‘shadow’ EEOC

The group hopes to provide guidance to stakeholders “given the EEOC’s abdication of its responsibilities to do so,” said Jocelyn Samuels, former vice chair for the agency.

By Ginger Christ • March 16, 2026

‘Monitoring’ during meal breaks did not need compensation, 6th Circuit says

A security guard’s lawsuit was properly dismissed because it gave no indication of how often, if at all, monitoring the radio and responding to calls interrupted his breaks.

By Laurel Kalser • March 13, 2026

Lush agrees to settle gender identity bias lawsuit dropped by EEOC

The outcome demonstrates how similar cases may continue to live on in spite of the agency’s ideological shift.

By Ryan Golden • March 13, 2026

AI trailed DEI, immigration in 2025 compliance impact, employers say

The combination of regulatory and economic uncertainty prompted more than one-third of employers in a Littler survey to reduce headcount within the past year.

By Ryan Golden • March 12, 2026

Bravo, Warner Bros. can’t compel arbitration in former Real Housewives cast member lawsuit, judge orders

The defendants filed two motions to dismiss the claims and didn’t bring up arbitration for more than a year after the lawsuit was filed, the federal judge said.

By Ginger Christ • March 11, 2026

EEOC: Restaurant fired worker who had seizure to allow her to ‘focus on’ her health

The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against employees who are regarded as having a disability by their employers.

By Ryan Golden • March 11, 2026