DOL back wage recovery hit 5-year high in 2025, despite closing fewer cases

The Wage and Hour Division released an analysis of its 2025 data, also drawing attention to two updated video series on the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.

By Caroline Colvin • Jan. 8, 2026

This week in 5 numbers: Lonely workers say they miss more work

Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week of HR news — including the number of companies who cite a lack of relevant experience among candidates as a major barrier to hiring.

By Ginger Christ • Jan. 8, 2026

Minimum wage increases hit 19 states in 2026

A number of states crossed the $15 per hour threshold long used as a rallying cry among worker advocates.

By Ryan Golden • Jan. 8, 2026

Former EEOC officials condemn agency’s move to drop anti-harassment guidance

The group said EEOC’s request to the White House “is yet another salvo in this Administration’s prolonged attack on LGBTQI+ people.”

By Ginger Christ • Jan. 7, 2026

DOL clarifies FMLA’s stance on travel time, school closure in opinion letters

While the Family and Medical Leave Act protects time spent traveling to appointments, it does not encompass stops for other unrelated activities, the labor department noted.

By Emilie Shumway • Jan. 6, 2026

Trump can order employers to pay extra H-1B fee, court holds

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has appealed a ruling finding that potential harm to the economy and employers is not grounds for overturning the president’s Sept. 19 proclamation.

By Laurel Kalser • Jan. 5, 2026

Litigants end McDonald’s no-poach agreement saga after almost a decade

Multiple fast-food chains have since ceased using the restrictive hiring agreements at issue.

By Ryan Golden • Jan. 5, 2026

What the Supreme Court said about employment law in 2025

The justices handed down a verdict that could prove to be one of their most consequential for the discipline in years.

By Ryan Golden • Jan. 5, 2026

CFPB shifts on EWA policy, again

Certain employer-partnered earned wage access products aren’t subject to U.S. lending laws, the bureau said, formally discarding a 2024 Biden-era rule.

By Justin Bachman • Jan. 2, 2026

10 California employment law changes on tap for 2026

The new year gives Golden State employers plenty to wrap their heads around, from new workplace notice requirements to pay equity and paid leave updates.

By Ryan Golden • Jan. 2, 2026

US Steel refused to accommodate pregnant mine worker, EEOC alleges

The steel manufacturer allegedly placed a pregnant employee on leave and assigned her undesirable jobs outside her role, according to an EEOC lawsuit.

By Laurel Kalser • Jan. 2, 2026

Employer can’t enforce arbitration agreement manager never signed, 5th Circuit holds

The court explained that the agreement made clear that signatures were needed.

By Kate Tornone • Dec. 22, 2025

Senate restores quorum to beleaguered NLRB

The board has found itself at the center of a battle over its independence and enforcement authority.

By Ryan Golden • Dec. 22, 2025

Dairy farm stuck Mexican workers with laborer jobs, calling Americans ‘lazy,’ EEOC says

United Pride Dairy allegedly told three Mexican nationals that they would hold professional or management positions upon hiring but instead assigned them laborer positions.

By Ginger Christ • Dec. 22, 2025

Anti-DEI legal group asks EEOC to investigate Penguin Random House

While it is not clear that any previous appeal to EEOC has resulted in action from the agency, shifting priorities under the Trump administration may result in a different outcome.

By Emilie Shumway • Dec. 19, 2025

EEOC chair solicits bias charges from White men

In light of a predicted uptick in what are often called “reverse discrimination” claims, attorneys recommend HR professionals review EEO and anti-harassment policies.

By Kate Tornone • Dec. 18, 2025

This week in 5 numbers: Nearly a third of corporate directors predict a recession is on the horizon

Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week of HR news — including how many states filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s new H-1B visa fee.

By Ginger Christ • Dec. 18, 2025

SHRM rescinded job offer over candidate’s service dog, lawsuit alleges

The HR organization on Wednesday declined to comment on the case but confirmed it is reviewing the court filing.

By Ginger Christ • Dec. 17, 2025

How to create a workplace response plan for ICE visits

A Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP attorney provides a strategic guide for employers that can promote employee confidence.

By Jonathan R. Ksiazek • Dec. 17, 2025

‘Reverse discrimination’ was an enduring 2025 workplace trend

An ex-Google employee, a Walmart manager, a Paramount exec: Majority-group discrimination claims were an increasingly buzzy HR topic last year.

By Caroline Colvin • Dec. 16, 2025

Poor treatment after WFH accommodation not evidence of disability bias, 11th Circuit says

While a former animal services employee’s relationships with colleagues began to deteriorate after her accommodation, it was because “they believed she performed poorly,” the court said.

By Emilie Shumway • Dec. 16, 2025

Trump AI order introduces ‘unstable regulatory landscape’: analysis

The executive order opens a “pandora’s box of not only constitutional issues, but also issues pertaining to the EO’s interpretation and scope,” legal analysts said.

By Alexei Alexis • Dec. 16, 2025

State AGs launch third lawsuit seeking to block Trump’s H-1B order

The plaintiffs alleged that public schools, university-level research institutions and healthcare systems could be harmed by a $100,000 fee on all new visas.

By Ryan Golden • Updated Dec. 17, 2025

JPMorgan conducted ‘fake’ interviews of Black candidates, lawsuit alleges

The bank’s treatment of the plaintiff is part of a decades-long “unbroken pattern of systemic race discrimination against African Americans,” per the lawsuit.

By Ginger Christ • Dec. 15, 2025

Trump calls for federal policy framework preempting state AI laws

The executive order comes as Big Tech pushes back on local AI regulation while pouring billions into building out AI infrastructure and deploying new products.

By Makenzie Holland • Dec. 12, 2025