• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Employment Law

Bias on basis of gender identity remains illegal despite EEOC promise to reverse course

02/18/2025
In a statement, acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said the EEOC “is returning to its mission of protecting women from sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination in the workplace by rolling back the Biden administration’s gender identity agenda.” But issuing a press release does not change official policy.

Your own assets are at risk! You could be liable for FMLA mistakes

02/18/2025
A federal court has decided that employees like HR professionals and supervisors can sometimes be held personally liable for FMLA violations. That means their assets can be seized to pay damages.

Starbucks faces lawsuit claiming DEI is ‘pretext’ for discrimination

02/18/2025
The state of Missouri is suing Starbucks, alleging that the coffee chain’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs are a “mere pretext for its actual commitment to unlawful discrimination.”

Why your harassment-reporting system might be failing

02/12/2025
A survey of more than 2,000 U.S. workers reveals critical gaps in how organizations handle harassment prevention and response—gaps that could be costing businesses talent and money.

How microaggressions can lead to major legal headaches

02/12/2025
A “microaggression” is a subtle, often unintentional comment or action that conveys bias or discrimination against a marginalized group. In the right circumstances, they can amount to an adverse action that supports a workplace retaliation claim.

Chronic pain under the ADA

02/12/2025
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 51.6 million U.S adults, or 20.9% of the adult population, suffer from chronic pain. They may need periodic time off, as well as reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Lower sick pay for older workers won’t fly

02/12/2025
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act bar discrimination based on age and require older workers to receive the same benefits as younger ones. That includes sick and short-term disability leave.

Employer sued for not opening jobs to women

02/12/2025
Employers should know they can’t discriminate against applicants because of their sex, but that message hasn’t made its way to every hiring manager.

Can’t accommodate with time off? Hire a replacement

02/12/2025
The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations, including time off, for a disabled worker unless the accommodation creates an undue hardship. But how much time off is a hardship?

Former NLRB member Wilcox sues Trump, Kaplan over firing

02/10/2025
Gwynne Wilcox, fired Jan. 27 by President Trump from her job as a member of the National Labor Relations Board, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging her termination was illegal and demanding reinstatement to the board.