Compliance complexity: How employers can cope with an increasingly fractured state-law patchwork

“The simultaneous withdrawal of federal guidance and expansion of state protections creates unprecedented compliance challenges for multi-state employers,” writes employment attorney Vanessa Kelly, member of the firm at Clark Hill.

By Vanessa Kelly • Feb. 24, 2026

NLRB applies Browning-Ferris joint employer standard at court’s direction

Following the D.C. Circuit’s instructions, the board agreed to apply its embattled 2015 framework in one case, but said it still adheres to its stricter 2020 interpretation.

By Emilie Shumway • Feb. 24, 2026

Worker did not plausibly argue obesity was a disability, 1st Circuit finds

In a lawsuit filed against Cigna for refusing to cover weight loss medication, a Maine worker described the condition and its impact too generally, the appeals court said.

By Emilie Shumway • Feb. 23, 2026

Clinic settles pregnancy bias lawsuit in which HR director allegedly said he ‘knew nothing’ of PWFA

The case brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission involved claims that arose shortly before and after the law’s 2023 effective date.

By Ryan Golden • Updated Feb. 23, 2026

Democratic lawmakers propose anti-harassment bill after EEOC scraps guidance

The Be Heard Act includes provisions to end mandatory arbitration and extend time limits for reporting harassment, among other reforms.

By Ginger Christ • Feb. 23, 2026

HR compliance has outgrown fragmented tools. It needs an operating system.

Compliance work is constant. Fragmented tools make it harder than it needs to be.

Feb. 23, 2026

Google fired pregnant engineer who took FMLA leave, lawsuit claims

A manager’s actions following two separate pregnancy disclosures allegedly amounted to unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex, pregnancy and disability.

By Ryan Golden • Feb. 20, 2026

Amazon hiring ‘workstyle’ assessment may have been lie detector test, judge says

An applicant plausibly alleged that a test meant to gauge his “workstyle” fit the definition of a lie detector test under Massachusetts law, the judge determined.

By Emilie Shumway • Feb. 20, 2026

Coca-Cola bottler excluded men from work trip, violating Title VII, EEOC alleges

The lawsuit filing comes on the heels of employment attorneys predicting that “reverse discrimination” would be an EEOC priority for 2026.

By Caroline Colvin • Updated Feb. 20, 2026

Jury may decide whether homecare company owes nearly $6M in overtime

The U.S. Department of Labor alleged the employer intentionally misclassified employees as independent contractors to avoid paying overtime.

By Kate Tornone • Feb. 18, 2026

5 stories on alleged discrimination against men

Title VII applies to all workers, regardless of their sex, race or other protected characteristics — and recent events have put the spotlight on majority-group plaintiffs. 

By Emilie Shumway • Feb. 18, 2026

Cemetery locked Black employees out of restroom open to White workers, EEOC alleges

The alleged conduct amounted to an unlawful denial of equal status in the workplace, the commission said.

By Ryan Golden • Feb. 17, 2026

Resistance to management style didn’t create hostile work environment, court finds

The court said that the direct report’s responses were not discriminatory microaggressions, but rather “innocent workplace misunderstandings.”

By Laurel Kalser • Feb. 13, 2026

Driver’s heart condition not a disability under the ADA, 8th Circuit affirms

The case is a reminder of the contours of the law’s disability definition.

By Ryan Golden • Feb. 13, 2026

This week in 5 numbers: Nearly one-third of workers want to break up with their jobs

Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week of HR news — including how much the demand for human resources workers has fallen.

By Ginger Christ • Feb. 12, 2026

Kaiser reaches settlement with DOL over alleged mental healthcare access failures

DOL alleged that Kaiser didn’t offer adequate provider networks and used patient questionnaires to prevent members from receiving care.

By Ginger Christ • Feb. 11, 2026

EEOC to spotlight ‘reverse bias’ in 2026, attorneys say

Employers should prepare for “aggressive and assertive” activity on this front from the agency, a source told HR Dive.

By Ryan Golden • Feb. 11, 2026

Legal group claims victory after EEOC ‘retreated’ on law firm DEI letters

Most of the 20 major law firms that received letters declined to provide the requested information, and the agency said it “considers the matter of responding to those letters closed.”

By Emilie Shumway • Feb. 10, 2026

SHRM: Inadmissible evidence ‘poisoned’ verdict in race bias, retaliation case

The HR organization asked for a new trial after a federal jury awarded $11.5 million to a former employee last year.

By Ryan Golden • Feb. 9, 2026

DOL wants you to self-report potential FMLA violations. Should you?

“I am reluctant to counsel an employer to participate in this program,” Jeff Nowak, shareholder at Littler Mendelson, told HR Dive.

By Ryan Golden • Feb. 9, 2026

Former OSU football coach alleges his gender doomed his harassment complaint

Both the plaintiff and a female co-worker filed workplace complaints about each other. Following an investigation, the school fired the plaintiff, citing sexual harassment and stalking.

By Kate Tornone • Feb. 9, 2026

Starbucks beats Missouri AG’s lawsuit targeting DEI programs

The state said it will continue to “aggressively” pursue the case, however.

By Ryan Golden • Feb. 6, 2026

EEOC obtains $1.1M from Kickback Jack’s for allegedly refusing to hire male servers

“Hiring must be based on merit — not sex — as Title VII requires,” EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas stated in a media release.

By Laurel Kalser • Feb. 6, 2026

This week in 5 numbers: A quarter of employees saw retaliation for reporting misconduct

Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week of HR news — including how much a jury awarded a former HR benefits generalist who alleged retaliation by her employer.

By Ginger Christ • Feb. 5, 2026

Nike must explain its pushback against EEOC’s DEI probe, judge says

A federal judge gave Nike a deadline of March 16, 2026.

By Ryan Golden • Updated Feb. 12, 2026