Tag: Employment law

4th Circuit Decision Highlights Changed Adverse Employment Action Standard

The Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis set the stage for an increase in claims arising out of circumstances in which an employee experiences a change in their working conditions that doesn’t rise to the level of a pay cut, demotion, or termination. The effects of the Court’s decision were […]

DOJ’s Civil Division Initiates False Claims Act Investigations of DEI Practices

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Division is sending civil investigative demands (CIDs) to federal contractors seeking information on their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices under its authority to investigate False Claims Act (FCA) claims. Flowing from President Trump’s Executive Order 14173, which seeks to limit DEI efforts, the DOJ recently launched the […]

4th Circuit Decision Highlights Changed Adverse Employment Action Standard

The Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis set the stage for an increase in claims arising out of circumstances in which an employee experiences a change in their working conditions that doesn’t rise to the level of a pay cut, demotion, or termination. The effects of the Court’s decision were […]

metoo

Love on the Clock: 4 Tips for Managing Workplace Relationships 

From iconic on-screen couples to tangled webs of fictional workplace drama, office romances have long captured the public’s imagination. But these storylines reflect a very real dynamic that employers often face and must address.   Romantic relationships in the workplace are common and complicated, often bringing with them issues like favoritism, conflicts of interest, and […]

An HR Leader’s Guide to Elevating the Employee Handbook

Employee handbooks are meant to be a compliance cornerstone. Yet new research from Brightmine shows many organizations may be falling behind in keeping them current. Fewer than half (48%) of HR professionals surveyed feel very confident that their organization’s handbook accurately reflects all current employment law requirements that are applicable to their company. A handbook […]

disability

Don’t Drag Your Feet on Accommodation Requests

All day long you give me the runaround When you say something here, You mean something there You give me the runaround Same thing yesterday, Same thing the day before from “Runaround” by Tulsa songwriter J. J. Cale Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an employer should grant accommodations to employees with a disability, […]

Supreme Court Eliminates ‘Background Circumstances’ Test for Title VII Claims

In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has formalized and affirmed the legal standard for employment discrimination claims for nonminority groups under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. What Changed? Typically, in Title VII cases, employees must show they are members of a protected class, they were qualified for the job […]

Maryland Restricts Noncompete Agreements for Veterinary and Health Care Professionals 

Maryland is among the latest states to restrict noncompete agreements in employment contracts. A new state law, the Noncompete and Conflict of Interest Clauses for Veterinary and Health Care Professionals and Study of the Health Care Market, restricts the use of noncompete and conflict of interest agreements in certain employment contracts for Maryland veterinary and […]

New AI Hiring Rules and Lawsuits Put Employers on Notice: What HR Needs to Know

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how companies find, evaluate, and hire talent, but it’s also raising red flags among regulators and courts. Two big developments in May 2025 show that HR teams must take a closer look at their hiring tools to avoid legal and compliance risks. Let’s break it down. What’s Happening in California? […]

independent contractor

Test for Classifying Workers is Shifting Away From ‘Economic Reality’

In May 2025, the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published guidance saying that it would stop enforcing a Biden-era rule—one that had rescinded a rule created during the first Trump administration—on the factors distinguishing independent contractors from employees. Although the Biden-era rule remains “on the books” for now while the DOL considers replacing […]