HVAC technician sues Trane for dispatching a woman to work with him

The plaintiff said it’s his deeply held religious belief that he shouldn’t work with a woman unless others are at the jobsite along with them.

By Robert Freedman • Nov. 18, 2025

Employee fired for false expense report not entitled to severance pay, court rules

Lilly USA appropriately denied the claim under ERISA because its severance pay plan expressly excluded employees terminated for falsifying a report, a federal court held.

By Laurel Kalser • Nov. 17, 2025

EEOC kicks back into gear, settles harassment claims against chicken shop

An Arkansas restaurant operator ignored complaints against a shift manager, leading to even more complaints over the span of just a few months, the commission claimed.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 17, 2025

Equal protection, elevated risk: How HR can prepare for an uptick in reverse discrimination claims

If your team has room for improvement in documentation, now is the time to make the necessary changes, writes Melanie Ronen, partner at Stradley Ronon.

By Melanie Ronen • Nov. 17, 2025

IRS sets 401(k) annual contribution limit at $24,500 for 2026

Unlike last year, the agency also announced an increase to the contribution cap for individual retirement accounts.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 17, 2025

The government’s reopening sounds a death knell for EEOC policies new and old

The agency’s newly installed Republican majority will be busy in the coming weeks, Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal, the lone Democrat on the commission, predicted Thursday.

By Kate Tornone • Nov. 14, 2025

Real Brokerage reaches ‘settlement in principle’ in ex-CFO’s pregnancy suit

Under the deal that must still be finalized, the residential brokerage company said it will “make no payment” to the former finance chief who filed the discrimination suit.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • Nov. 14, 2025

Starbucks Workers United launches 65-store strike

The union said its members are prepared for the longest and most serious strike in the brand’s history.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Nov. 13, 2025

Salary history bans shrink gender- and race-based pay gaps, researchers find

The results are a sign that the wave of state and local laws is effective at achieving legislators’ stated goals, according to the Boston University School of Law.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 10, 2025

FedEx may have interfered with worker’s FMLA rights, 11th Circuit holds

Had a worker known he could request intermittent leave under the law, he likely would not have been fired, the appeals court held, reversing the district court’s decision.

By Emilie Shumway • Nov. 10, 2025

Bipartisan bill would require employers to report AI-related layoffs

Over the past year, legislators of all political leanings have proposed ideas to mitigate the potential harms of AI to workers.

By Emilie Shumway • Nov. 10, 2025

Ex-Google director says he faced race bias because he’s White

A former sales director was allegedly told not to expect the company to “ever promote a white guy in this culture,” he claimed in a lawsuit.

By Laurel Kalser • Nov. 7, 2025

‘Context matters’: 8th Circuit finds for Home Depot in Black Lives Matter insignia case

The court found that special circumstances surrounding the Minneapolis-area store justified its decision to ask an employee to remove the marking.

By Emilie Shumway • Nov. 7, 2025

Lucas named EEOC chair, commits to ‘merit-based, colorblind equality’

The agency is mostly closed due to the government shutdown, but it now has a quorum and is expected to act fast on several issues once it reopens.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 6, 2025

5 steps HR should take to comply with pay transparency laws

Knowing where employees are located is just the beginning, attorneys told HR Dive.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 6, 2025

Another federal court backs higher liability standard for third-party harassment

A judge sided with the University of Pennsylvania in a case alleging harassment of an employee by a student because the school did not intend for the conduct to occur.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 5, 2025

EEOC rebuffs fired Amazon driver’s disparate-impact enforcement lawsuit

The agency adopted a defense similar to the one it articulated in response to allegations that it unlawfully dropped transgender discrimination lawsuits.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 4, 2025

Company owner ‘aggressively’ pressed executive to convert to LDS church, lawsuit says

One of few female executives at Omni Global Technologies, the plaintiff said she was proselytized to, sexually harassed and retaliated against for drawing attention to potential fraud.

By Emilie Shumway • Nov. 4, 2025

Former Marriott employee alleges retaliation for taking FMLA leave for gender-affirming surgery

Whether and how FMLA coverage applies to gender-affirming care has been a subject of increasing discussion as such treatments have become more common.

By Emilie Shumway • Nov. 3, 2025

Public employees must suffer adverse action, not just ‘grumblings,’ to show free speech violations, court says

Though the plaintiff alleged the University of Texas at Austin chilled his speech and retaliated against him, he was not fired or demoted, according to the decision.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 3, 2025

United Airlines vicariously liable for pervasive sexual harassment, flight attendant alleges

The lawsuit is not the first regarding allegations that United Airlines pilots posted sexually explicit images of flight attendants.

By Ginger Christ • Nov. 3, 2025

Warner Bros. escapes White camera operator’s discrimination lawsuit

The case is one of many “reverse discrimination” lawsuits moving through the courts.

By Caroline Colvin • Oct. 31, 2025

Target workers in New Jersey accept $4.6M to settle wage claims for off-the-clock walking

The time warehouse workers spend walking to and from their work areas to undergo mandatory pre- and post-shift security screenings should be counted as “hours worked,” a class-action lawsuit alleged.

By Laurel Kalser • Oct. 31, 2025

IBM fired Black executives to ‘appease’ Trump, lawsuit claims

The company previously faced a series of lawsuits alleging that its DEI programs discriminated against White male employees.

By Ryan Golden • Oct. 30, 2025

DHS ends automatic extensions of immigrant work permits

The new rule leaves employers scrambling and likely will lead to labor shortages, an attorney said.

By Ginger Christ • Oct. 29, 2025