Pay transparency is increasingly becoming a business requirement. Many states require job postings to include salary ranges, and state laws mandating pay transparency are only expanding. Due to the increasing requirements concerning pay transparency, employers need to not only be aware of their duties under pay transparency laws but also move toward practices that embrace them. As a result, employers must recognize Read More
6th Circuit Imposes Higher Standard for Harassment Cases Involving Employees and Customers
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently considered the legal standard that employees must meet to sue their employers for harassment by customers. Although most courts have applied a negligence standard, the Sixth Circuit imposed a higher intent-based standard. The case is Bivens v. Zep Inc., 6th Cir., No. 24-2109 (Aug. 8, 2025). Zep Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of cleaning products to Read More
How Employers Should Prepare as ICE Conducts Record-Breaking Worksite Raids
In early September, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers executed their largest immigration raid at a single worksite in U.S. history. ICE detailed about 475 workers at the Hyundai Motor battery plant outside of Savannah, GA. More than 300 of the workers detained by ICE were South Korean nationals, who were present for a joint venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution to manufacture electric Read More
EEOC Accuses Cheerwine Bottling Co. of ADA Violations
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed suit against Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Co. for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) after it required an employee with multiple sclerosis (MS) to submit to a medical exam and a physical agility test to obtain medical information and then fired her after receiving the results. The employee was a store merchandiser at Cheerwine’s Read More
Lyft Pays $19.4 Million to NJ Attorney General’s Office for Driver Misclassification
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has announced that Lyft has paid off the $19.4 million it owed to the state for misclassifying drivers as independent contractors. The dispute originated when Lyft drivers filed for unemployment and disability benefits, triggering an audit of the rideshare company’s records from 2014 to 2017 by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce (NJDOL). Based on the audit Read More
EEOC Sues Smithfield Fresh Meats Alleging Pregnancy Discrimination
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently filed a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit in a North Carolina federal court against Smithfield Fresh Meats Corp. In its suit, the EEOC alleges that Smithfield violated the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it refused to accommodate a pregnant worker's medical restrictions and terminated her Read More
USAID Workers Achieve Class Action Status in DOGE Lawsuit
A federal court has certified a class action in the case of Does v. Musk, 2025 BL 291150, D. Md., No. 25-0462-TDC, 8/18/25. The case involves U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees who are part of a mass layoff directed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which plans to merge USAID with the U.S. State Department. The certification ensures that the USAID employees may pursue Read More
Vaccine Coverage Complexities Set in as FDA Tightens Access to COVID Vaccines
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials withdrew emergency use rules for some COVID-19 vaccinations and implemented stricter access rules for other COVID-19 vaccinations. The move has made employer coverage of COVID shots and other vaccinations far more complicated, even as a new wave of U.S. COVID infections has surged. Currently, U.S. residents are experiencing about 3.5 million new infections per week, Read More
Wells Fargo Removes All Diversity Language from Website
An examination of Wells Fargo’s website reveals that the company has quietly removed all language related to diversity. The company previously had a DEI program page, but it has now rebranded the program as one of “inclusion and accessibility.” Earlier this year, Wells Fargo announced that hiring managers no longer had to consider diverse candidates for upper-level positions. In August, protestors targeted the Read More
Seventh Circuit Decision Sets Forth New FLSA Certification Standard
In its August 2025 decision in Richards v. Eli Lilly & Co. et al., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has fundamentally altered how federal courts manage actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The ruling governs courts within the Seventh Circuit, including courts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Increased rigor in the FLSA certification standard may save employers substantial Read More










