Today's Human Resources Pulse
Lateral Associates Now Dominate Biglaw Hiring
In 2025, lateral‑hired attorneys accounted for roughly 48% of associate hires, overtaking new law‑school graduates for the first time. The shift reflects firms’ growing appetite for experienced talent amid heightened client demand and billing pressures, tightening the market for recent graduates.
Your Organization’s Unwritten Rules and How to Fix Them
Organizations run invisible markets that decide who gets resources, visibility, and advancement. Professor Judd Kessler proposes redesigning these hidden rules using the Three Es—Efficiency, Equity, and Ease—to create transparent, merit‑based systems. Real‑world pilots such as Wharton’s Course Match, the National Resident Matching Program, and Unilever’s InnerMobility platform demonstrate measurable gains in satisfaction, fairness, and productivity. The Nano Tool offers a step‑by‑step framework for leaders to identify, assess, and overhaul these covert mechanisms.
California Workplace Know Your Rights Notice Requirement Is in Effect
California’s Workplace‑Know‑Your‑Rights Act (SB 294) takes effect on February 1, 2026, obligating every employer to deliver a standalone written notice to all current staff and new hires, then repeat it annually. The notice must outline workers’ compensation, immigration‑related protections, union rights, and Fourth...
Royal Mail-Owned Courier Faces Tribunal over Drivers’ Rights
Dozens of eCourier drivers delivering NHS samples are challenging their self‑employment status in an employment tribunal. The 46 workers argue that the company exerts significant control over job allocation, availability, and performance, which should qualify them as workers entitled to...
Employer Compliance Update: Qualified Overtime and Tip Reporting After the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act
On July 4, 2025, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) became law, imposing new employer tax reporting requirements for qualified overtime and tipped earnings. Employers must now report qualified overtime compensation and qualified tips separately on employees’ Form W‑2,...
Policy Week in Review – January 30, 2026
The NLRB Division of Advice issued memos recommending dismissal of three charges that stretched Biden‑era precedents, covering a union recognition claim, a Slack criticism case, and an overbroad non‑solicitation clause. The Department of Labor’s EBSA proposed a rule forcing PBM...
Travel Time or Working Time? What the Latest CJEU Decision Means for Employers in Germany
Recent CJEU ruling (Case C‑110/24) classifies travel that is tightly organised by the employer as working time for health‑and‑safety purposes. German courts have traditionally focused on the burden of travel, but the EU decision shifts emphasis to employer control, potentially...
New Jersey Dramatically Expands Job-Protected Family Leave and Benefits
Effective July 17, 2026, New Jersey will lower the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) employer threshold from 30 to 15 employees and cut employee eligibility to three months of service and 250 hours worked. The amendment also requires up to 12...
NLRB Region 12 Reinforces Imminent Closure Standard in SolarMovil PR LLC Decision
The NLRB Region 12 regional director dismissed a union representation petition against SolarMovil PR LLC because the solar‑farm project was “imminently and definitely” ending. The decision hinged on concrete evidence such as a fixed‑date contract, 82 % project completion, and lack of future work...
Puerto Rico Governor Declares a State of Emergency Due to Influenza Epidemic, Activating Five-Day Paid Leave
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González issued Executive Order 2026‑005 on Jan 27, 2026, declaring a state of emergency in response to an influenza epidemic. The order activates Act No. 37, which adds a special five‑day paid leave for non‑exempt employees who have exhausted vacation and...
What Happens to AI Hiring When the Uniform Guidelines Disappear?
The Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, a 50‑year standard for validating hiring tools, face possible rescission, creating uncertainty for AI‑driven recruitment. In January 2026, Eightfold AI was hit with a class‑action lawsuit alleging it compiles consumer‑report‑like dossiers without notice,...
3 Steps To Craft A Leadership Narrative Your Team Will Rally Around
Effective leadership today hinges on crafting a compelling narrative that links current realities to future possibilities. The article highlights Satya Nadella’s transformation of Microsoft, where a shift from a "know‑it‑all" to a "learn‑it‑all" culture propelled the company from a $300 billion...
California Employment News: Employee Benefits 101
In a recent episode of California Employment News, Weintraub Tobin partners Chris Horsley and Ryan Abernethy unpack employer obligations surrounding 401(k) retirement plans, the state‑mandated CalSavers program, and health benefit requirements. They explain fiduciary duties, contribution timelines, and the criteria...
New York Governor Proposes “No Tax on Tips” Legislation
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed eliminating state income tax on up to $25,000 of tipped income for 2026, and Senate Bill S587‑A would codify the deduction. The measure mirrors the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s qualified‑tip deduction but does not include...
Merz’s Party Vows to Clamp Down on Germany’s ‘Lifestyle Part-Time Work’
Germany’s Christian Democratic Union business wing is proposing to abolish the statutory right to part‑time work, replacing it with a permission‑based system. The current law guarantees every employee the ability to reduce hours, a provision heavily used by women for...
The Next Expansion Won’t Fix Hiring
Economic forecasts for 2026 show stronger growth, lower rates and rising AI investment, yet recruiters face a persistent talent shortage. Demand‑driven expansion is creating more job requisitions, but labor supply remains constrained by limited immigration, an aging workforce, and sector‑specific...
Why the Eightfold Lawsuit Matters and Doesn't
The episode breaks down the recent class‑action lawsuit against Eightfold AI, which alleges the firm collected job candidates' data without proper notice, consent, or correction rights, potentially violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)....
Coming Soon: DOL’s Proposed Rules Facilitating Alternative Assets in 401(k) Plans
On January 13, 2026 the U.S. Department of Labor submitted proposed rules to the White House Office of Management and Budget that would allow 401(k) and other defined‑contribution plans to hold alternative assets such as digital currencies, private equity, private credit and...
Global Employment in 2026: A Fragile Stability
The ILO’s 2026 Employment and Social Trends report shows that global labour markets appear stable, with unemployment projected at 4.9%, but this masks deep challenges to decent work, including rising extreme poverty, high informality (57.7% of workers) and stagnant productivity....
4 Leadership Goals To Build A Resilient Team This Year
The article urges leaders to set goals that strengthen team resilience rather than merely chasing revenue or market expansion. It highlights four people‑centric leadership objectives designed to empower employees during volatile conditions. By shifting focus from outcomes to how leaders...
Planning for Your Next DOL Investigation Just Got Easier
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) unveiled its FY 2026 national enforcement projects, marking the most extensive overhaul in recent years. Priorities include cybersecurity safeguards, mental‑health and substance‑use benefit access, No Surprises Act compliance, protection of benefit...
Act 55 Takes Effect: An “Express Lane” For UC Claimants Affected by Domestic Violence
Pennsylvania’s new Act 55, effective 2025, adds an “express lane” for unemployment compensation claimants impacted by domestic violence. The law shields claimants who quit or miss work due to safety concerns from disqualification, allowing expedited eligibility determinations. Verification may rely...
California’s New Restrictions on “Stay-or-Pay” Provisions Require Employers to Review Repayment Agreements
California’s Assembly Bill 692, effective Jan 1 2026, broadly prohibits employers from including stay‑or‑pay provisions that require workers to repay bonuses, training, relocation or other retention incentives upon termination. The law permits narrow exceptions for discretionary sign‑on bonuses and tuition repayment, provided...
Third Circuit Holds No Deference Due Where Administrator Fails to Articulate an Interpretation of an Ambiguous Plan Term
The Third Circuit ruled that ERISA plan administrators lose judicial deference when they fail to explain how they interpret ambiguous plan terms, as demonstrated in Rombach v. Plumbers Local Union No. 27 Pension Fund. The court held that the plan’s...
Stop Micromanaging: How to Empower Employees to Make Better Decisions Without You
The article argues that micromanaging stifles employee confidence and slows decision‑making, while clear decision‑making frameworks unlock strategic autonomy. It highlights Amazon’s Type 1 vs Type 2 decision model, which lets staff act quickly on reversible choices. A 2022 Deloitte study is cited, showing...
Gem Vs. Juicebox: AI Recruiting Platforms Compared (2026)
Gem positions itself as an AI‑first, all‑in‑one recruiting platform that merges ATS, CRM, sourcing, scheduling, and analytics, promising 30‑50% cost reductions through consolidation. Juicebox, by contrast, is a point‑solution focused on AI‑driven list building and outreach that layers onto existing...
California Employment News: SB 513 and Personnel File Requirements
California's SB 513, which took effect on January 1 2026, clarifies the mandatory contents of employee personnel files. The statute enumerates specific documents—such as hiring applications, performance evaluations, and disciplinary records—that must be retained. Employers are required to keep these files for...
Upcoming HIPAA Compliance Deadline: HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices Updates Required by February 16
Group health plan sponsors must revise their HIPAA Notices of Privacy Practices by February 16, 2026 to incorporate new Part 2 privacy protections for substance‑abuse treatment records. The update requires clear language on prohibited uses, legal‑process limitations, and an opt‑out option...