At the British Academy Film Awards – better known as the BAFTAs, the U.K.’s version of the Oscars – a man with Tourette’s Syndrome interrupted the ceremony while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award, shouting a racial slur. That public moment raises a workplace question:…
Under basic contract law, yes. But thanks to the Ending Forced Arbitration Act, that may not be the end of the story. TL;DR: The New Jersey Appellate Division held that a mutual arbitration agreement was valid and enforceable, reversing a trial court that had voided it. But because the…
A recent Southern District of New York decision is being described as “AI destroys privilege.” That’s not what the court held. But employers using consumer AI tools in connection with employment decisions should pay attention. TL;DR: In United States v. Heppner, the court held that documents a criminal defendant generated…
Before the champagne pops and the Slack notifications finally stop, it’s worth pausing to reflect on what actually defined the workplace this year. Not the initiatives. Not the slogans. The refrains. Some of these are healthy habits. Others are the phrases that tend to show up right before…
Congress is not slowing down on AI regulation. Weeks after lawmakers introduced a bill requiring employers to track how many jobs AI creates and eliminates, another proposal has arrived that targets how employers actually use AI at work. TL;DR: The No Robot Bosses Act would create sweeping new federal…
A single disclosure from a job applicant about her methadone prescription allegedly turned a routine interview into an ADA problem the EEOC now wants a court to resolve. TL;DR: The EEOC has sued concrete-industry employers, alleging they refused to hire applicants who lawfully use methadone or other medication-assisted…
Artificial intelligence is changing everything from hiring to customer service, and now Congress wants to know exactly how many American jobs it’s creating… and killing. TL;DR: A bipartisan Senate bill called the AI-Related Job Impacts Clarity Act would require large employers and federal agencies to report quarterly on job…
From lapel pins to lanyards to slogans on uniforms, employees are bringing social causes to work, and HR is left balancing expression, inclusion, and workplace order. A recent federal court decision involving a “BLM” message on a Home Depot apron shows where those boundaries start to take shape. TL;DR: On…
Sometimes the timing writes the headline for you. On October 31, a federal court in New Jersey decided a harassment case that involved an unforgettable Halloween costume and a reminder that bad taste is not always a legal violation. TL;DR: An employee alleged sexual harassment after a doctor made…
An airline services company once thought a single scheduled break was enough time for a new mom to pump breast milk. The result? A federal lawsuit that is still headed to trial, and a reminder of what today’s PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act now makes crystal clear. TL;DR: A federal…