Author: Lin Grensing-Pophal, Contributing Editor

Mixed Views On Automation Among Workers

Recent research suggests workers have mixed views on the potential impacts of automation on the workforce. Automation in the workplace isn’t anything new. From the breakthroughs of the Industrial Revolution to today’s advanced robotics and computerized processes, automation is fully embedded into the American workforce. But broadly speaking, employee views of automation are mixed. Up […]

Don’t Get Burned by FMLA Leave Calculations During Summer Holidays

Summertime brings warm weather, planned vacations, and a number of state and federally recognized holidays. While long holiday weekends are often a time for celebration, cookouts, and a break from the typical 9-to-5, they also play an important role in calculating Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) […]

Evaluating Recent Grad Skill Levels

For employers anxiously watching the labor market for signs the pool of available talent is getting larger, recent high school and college graduates are an important demographic. Every year brings millions of new high school and college graduates to the workforce, representing a potentially lucrative pool of labor for employers to recruit from. But do […]

Supreme Court Ruling Raises Questions About Workplace DEI Efforts

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision against using race as a factor in college admissions doesn’t directly affect employers, but it’s sparking worries about a backlash aimed at efforts to increase diversity in the workplace. In a June 29 decision, the Court ruled 6-3 that admissions procedures at Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate […]

Companies See Big Rise in Labor and Employment Class Actions and Defense Spending

The 2023 Carlton Fields Class Action Survey has revealed a significant increase in the number of labor and employment class action lawsuits and the amount companies are spending to defend those lawsuits. That is sobering news for employers and raises questions about what the class action landscape may look like for employers in the future. Labor & […]

ICE Ends Form I-9 Flexibilities: What Employers Need to Know Ahead of July 31 Deadline

All U.S. employers are required to complete Form I-9 for employees hired to work in the United States. This form serves to verify an employee’s identity and ability to work in the country. Within 72 hours of hire, employees must present their employer with acceptable identity and employment authorization documents, and the employer must physically […]

Use Cases for AI in Training

There’s been a lot of discussion around the extent to which artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies will displace human workers in the not-too-distant future, but there hasn’t been much discussion about the ways AI can be used as a powerful tool in supporting human workers’ training and development. Here are just a few ways […]

The Benefits of Focusing on Employee Well-Being

Although there are many examples of friendships and romances in the workplace, it’s typically a professional environment where people keep personal feelings and information private. This tendency has increased significantly in workplaces that shifted to remote work in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is unfortunate because improving overall employee well-being can have important […]

Case Study: Why Employers Need to Address Harassment Complaints Promptly

After a medical clinic employee reported harassment, she said she didn’t want her alleged harasser “approached about his behavior specifically directed towards [her].” As a result, the lower court determined the employer was excused from failing to address the conduct right away, especially since it did take prompt action once the harassment turned physical. On […]

Employers Beware: NLRB Instructs on Harsh Penalties for Repeat Offenders

In its recently decided 2-1 decision, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) discussed additional remedies it may now consider in cases involving employers that have engaged in what the Board considers repeated or obvious disregard for employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The decision is consistent with NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo’s […]