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From Order-Taker to Architect: Day 1 Key Takeaways from SPARK TALENT on AI, Ethics, and Workforce Strategy

Day One of the SPARK TALENT 2025 conference delivered a unified mandate to HR and Talent Acquisition (TA) leaders: the reactive, service-provider model is obsolete. Success requires you to stop being an “order-taker” and become an “architect of the workforce.” Three powerful sessions defined the essential shifts necessary to make that change. 1. The Strategic […]

Administration, EEOC, and Courts Limit Workers’ Gender Identity Protections

Beginning with President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14168, Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government, the Trump administration has made clear it will recognize only two biological sexes and has been erasing policies, practices, and procedures that acknowledge or support gender identity or transgender individuals. EEOC Position on […]

EntertainHR: What Love Island USA Teaches Us About Handling Discriminatory Language in the Workplace 

“Yulissa has left the villa.”   Two episodes into Season 7 of the Peacock dating series Love Island USA, contestant Yulissa Escobar was abruptly removed after podcast clips resurfaced of her using a racial slur.  Later in the season, contestant Cierra Ortega was similarly removed for what the series described as a “personal situation.” Fans quickly attributed […]

H-1B Program Overhaul: New $100K Fee and Increased Enforcement

On September 19, 2025, the Trump administration issued a presidential proclamation imposing new restrictions on H-1B visa holders seeking to enter the United States. Subsequently, additional clarification was provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on September 20, followed by a Department of State (DOS) H-1B FAQ […]

Gen Z Is Reimagining Work—Is Your Office Ready?

Across the country, many companies are establishing return-to-work mandates. Driven by existing lease agreements and lingering suspicion that remote workers aren’t as productive as they claim, most companies are ignoring a critical flaw in their RTO strategy: maybe it’s not that employees don’t want to be in the office—they just don’t want to be in […]

Tech-Enabled, People-Centered: The New Staffing Paradigm 

There are very high expectations for how artificial intelligence (AI) will influence modern business practices. And this is for very good reason. After years marked by speculation and incremental advancements, AI has transitioned from theoretical discussions to tangible integration within our professional and personal lives.   Today, a significant number of employers have embraced AI-driven […]

You Can’t Skip the Paperwork: Careful Review of EEOC Charges Matters

A recent decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana highlights a critical lesson for employers facing workplace discrimination claims: All employee filings with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) should be heavily scrutinized—if an employee didn’t raise an issue in the EEOC charge, they may not be able to include […]

Faces of HR: Julie Law’s Mentorship-Driven Journey

Julie Law, Chief People Officer at Rocket Software, has a career story that’s less of a straight line and more of an inspiring climb—one powered by mentorship and a constant focus on people. For fellow HR professionals, her journey highlights the transformative power of shifting from transactional HR to strategic people leadership. From Foundations to Global Strategy Law’s […]

Employees’ Free Speech Rights Have Limits, Even on Their Own Time

“I can do what I want!” “You’re not the boss of my mind!” “I have a First Amendment right to say whatever I want!” Whether from a precocious preteen or a challenging subordinate, the last of these exclamations can challenge even an experienced parent or supervisor. Fortunately for you (and me), this isn’t a parenting […]

What Employers Need to Know About Marijuana Drug Testing in the Age of Legalization

Employers have long relied upon drug testing as the most objective way to determine whether an employee is using drugs in a manner that impacts work.  With the ongoing trend towards legalization of marijuana across the county, the legal environment around drug testing for marijuana has never been more complex.  The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) […]