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Amazon’s Legal Fights with NLRB Could Affect Future of Joint Employer Doctrine

Online retailer Amazon receives over 11.95 million orders each day and contracts with delivery service partners (DSPs) to complete its abundant deliveries. Amazon employees, technology, and operations work to fulfill online orders, and the orders are packaged at fulfillment centers and dispatched to delivery stations. At the delivery stations, the DSPs take over. They direct […]

What Is a Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA?

Complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has long been an area of special concern for employers, their HR leaders, and managers. The basic intent is to ensure that companies accommodate any reasonable needs that disabled workers may have. Accurately applying the principles of the ADA, though, is anything but basic. […]

NLRB

What’s Next for the NLRB?

On November 13, 2024, the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) voted 3-1 (along party lines, with Member Kaplan dissenting) to prohibit so-called “captive audience” meetings. (Amazon.com Services LLC, Case No. 29-CA-280153, et. seq.) In doing so, the Board overturned 76 years of precedent that previously held such meetings lawful, beginning with the 1948 case […]

DEI Challenges Increase

As the second Trump administration takes shape, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs both in corporations and higher education are continuing to be challenged. Corporate DEI Programs After the Supreme Court’s decision in Harvard/UNC, the foes of DEI have been chipping away at corporate DEI programs steadily. Since the decision, Stephen Miller and his America First […]

Compliance Issues with Voluntary Attrition

Many companies use return-to-office (RTO) mandates or resignation packages to encourage voluntary attrition, hoping to reduce headcount without resorting to layoffs. While these strategies may seem like a smart way to cut costs, they come with significant legal and compliance risks. Employers must carefully navigate discrimination laws, constructive discharge claims, and severance agreement regulations to […]

Supporting Employees Through Infertility and Pregnancy Loss with Family-Forming Benefits

The period following the holidays and the start of a new year can be a time of reflection and planning. For individuals coping with infertility or pregnancy loss, it can also bring emotional challenges. Family-centered festivities from the holidays and conversations about children may linger, amplifying feelings of grief, isolation and frustration. These challenges, coupled […]

State of Michigan Provides Guidance on Earned Sick Time Act

With Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) set to go into effect on February 21, 2025, the Michigan Labor and Economic Opportunity Agency (LEO) has issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) indicating how the state plans to interpret the new paid sick leave law to provide guidance to employers and employees. Here are some important concepts […]

HR Query: What Soccer Teaches About Leadership

Joan Peterson is passionate about three things: the work she does, her family, and soccer. How do those three things interconnect? Peterson explains it all when I sat down to talk with her about her passions and how they inform her approach to leadership development. Joan Peterson is the Vice President, Master Facilitator and Leadership […]

Shaping Workplace Culture: Lupe Martinez-Mujica’s HR Leadership at FirstService Residential 

Lupe Martinez-Mujica has spent her career shaping workplace culture through strategic HR leadership. As a professional whose early passion for sociology, psychology, and employment law evolved into a focus on fostering diverse, engaged teams, she is now driving meaningful change at FirstService Residential.  From Early HR Passion to Executive Leadership  Martinez-Mujica’s journey into HR leadership […]

Only 22% of Companies Want to Know About Applicant Failures

Job interviews are usually about an applicant making a case for why they’re a great asset to the organization and a great fit for the role. They’ll tout their past achievements, education, experience, and personal characteristics. But employers also have an interest in understanding an employee’s weaknesses and past failures. Of course, these are tidbits […]