NLRB returns to first Trump-era employee misconduct framework

Following a mandate from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the agency applied the framework it tried to argue against in 2023.

By Emilie Shumway • Sept. 28, 2026

EEOC seeks subpoena enforcement against Hyundai over alleged refusal to hire non-Koreans

The filing comes at the same time that the commission has made national origin discrimination a prominent part of its regulatory agenda.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 28, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Inside the rapidly changing world of compliance

The HR landscape is ever-shifting, leaving compliance professionals to meet today’s requirements while keeping an eye on the future.

By HR Dive staff

6 recent ADA lawsuits

Court orders have shown there are limits to workers’ discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

By Ginger Christ • Sept. 28, 2026

The doctor’s note is vague. What should the employer do next?

Employers get into trouble when they treat an incomplete note as a verdict, writes Rachel Shaw, an ADA compliance expert.

By Rachel Shaw • Sept. 28, 2026

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet allegedly refused to hire deaf worker, required ‘ability to hear regularly’

This case is one of several involving deaf job candidates that highlights the danger of assumptions about ability.

By Caroline Colvin • Updated Sept. 25, 2026

This week in 5 numbers: CHROs say AI creates ‘invisible’ work

Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week — including how big the pay gap is for Black women.

By Ginger Christ • Sept. 24, 2026

Language that evoked slavery keeps front desk worker’s hostile work environment claim alive

Courts may scrutinize ineffective employer responses to harassment in their analysis of such cases, previous rulings have shown.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 23, 2026

Maryland governor’s AI framework focuses on regulation and reskilling

While the framework Gov. Wes Moore established begins with forming committees and gathering stakeholders, Maryland already has one law regulating the technology at work.

By Emilie Shumway • Sept. 22, 2026

Judge tosses former Purdue diversity chief’s race bias and retaliation claims

The executive offered up three colleagues as similarly situated comparators — and the judge dismissed all three.

By Emilie Shumway • Updated Sept. 24, 2026

Colorado judge: Doctor’s burnout wasn’t a disability

The Americans with Disabilities Act and related federal laws define disability broadly, but recent federal court decisions demonstrate the statute’s limits.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 21, 2026

Teen’s ‘therapeutic’ DJ classes did not entitle mother to FMLA leave, court finds

While the mother, a Mattress Firm manager, said the classes were related to her son’s mental health, the court noted they had not been prescribed.

By Emilie Shumway • Sept. 21, 2026

Religious bias requires more than knowledge of employee’s accommodation need, court says

Federal courts have been asked in recent months to decide what counts as sufficient disclosure of an employees’ religious beliefs, particularly in the COVID-19 vaccination context.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 21, 2026

Starbucks, Florida AG ink deal to end lawsuit over alleged illegal DEI practices

Attorney General James Uthmeier alleged that the coffee chain excluded or disfavored nonminorities in a lawsuit that mirrored recent federal enforcement activity.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 18, 2026

Butterball settles EEOC allegation it was liable for vendor’s failure to process ADA leave request

Employers can’t delegate their responsibility for complying with federal law to a third-party administrator, an EEOC attorney said.

By Laurel Kalser • Sept. 18, 2026

This week in 5 numbers: Amazon will give grocery benefits to workers

Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week — including how many employers say artificial intelligence is actually slowing down the hiring process.

By Ginger Christ • Sept. 17, 2026

Activision Blizzard hit with new sexual assault, harassment claims in lawsuit

The video game publisher’s HR department — previously alleged to have condoned a “frat boy culture” — was dismissive of the plaintiff’s complaints, she claimed.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 17, 2026

Ignoring a doctor’s note can be costly, EEOC reminds employers

Employers should “leave the work of identifying pregnancy-related risks and limitations to qualified medical professionals,” the agency said in conciliating two separate cases.

By Caroline Colvin • Sept. 17, 2026

Judge says disability bias lawsuit against SHRM must proceed

A candidate previously alleged that the HR organization rescinded a job offer after she requested to have her trained service dog accompany her to the office as a reasonable accommodation.

By Ginger Christ • Updated Sept. 16, 2026

Safety risk insufficient to show religious accommodation posed undue hardship, court rules

The case adds to the 9th Circuit’s analysis of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and religious accommodation, a topic on which the court has sometimes sided with employers.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 15, 2026

Alleged DEI-motivated hirings and promotions cost Accenture $25M in DOJ settlement

The U.S. Department of Justice said certain candidates were highlighted to leadership and directed into a “pipeline” due to their race and sex characteristics.

By Emilie Shumway • Sept. 15, 2026

Postal worker removed from office argument by police fails to reopen bias case

Other staff may have engaged in similar disputes, but the plaintiff couldn’t show that those workers were given more favorable treatment, the 7th Circuit said.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 14, 2026

EEOC solicits anti-American bias charges

“Have you been harassed at work for speaking English or for being too American?” the agency’s chair asked workers in a video.

By Kate Tornone • Sept. 14, 2026

HR must set boundaries as it embraces AI notetakers, experts caution

Practitioners are increasingly responsible for vetting such tools before they are deployed in a workplace or recruitment setting, SHRM CHRO Jim Link told HR Dive.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 14, 2026

Jury should decide if university’s hiring process was tainted by diversity goals, court rules

A White former associate director for Rochester Institute of Technology claimed the university used race-based criteria to select a Black candidate as director instead of promoting her.

By Laurel Kalser • Sept. 11, 2026

Hemorrhoid pain can be a disability, EEOC argues to court

In an amicus brief filed Wednesday, the agency supported a FedEx worker’s appeal, arguing pain can amount to a substantial limitation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

By Emilie Shumway • Sept. 11, 2026