Florida AG Challenges NFL’s Rooney Rule
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued a formal demand that the NFL abandon its Rooney Rule, labeling the policy as unlawful race‑and‑sex discrimination. In a March 25 letter, he gave the league a May 1 deadline to cease enforcing the rule, threatening state legal action and copying the DOJ and EEOC. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell responded by reaffirming the league’s commitment to diversity and indicating willingness to discuss the policy. The dispute underscores a growing wave of state‑level challenges to corporate DEI initiatives.
SPARK HR Day 2 Recap: Empathy Is the Name of the Game
Day 2 of the SPARK HR conference gathered senior HR leaders from Disney, Chick‑fil‑A, Meta and others to argue that empathy is the essential competency for modern HR. Speakers stressed that employee engagement depends on trust, compassion, stability and hope,...
Faces of HR: Why Laura Maffucci Is Putting People Before the AI “Hype Train”
Laura Maffucci, Head of HR at global employment platform G‑P, is steering the company away from AI hype toward a people‑first approach. Drawing on 25 years of experience, she emphasizes mental‑health‑centric AI adoption, warning that unchecked automation fuels employee anxiety. Since...
What Does Ranch Dressing Have To Do with Employment Law?
Hidden Valley Ranch was acquired by Clorox in 1972 for $8 million, but the company struggled for nearly a decade to recreate the original recipe. The resulting acidic version hit shelves anyway and became a massive hit, illustrating how consumer perception...
SPARK HR Day 1 Recap: Taking Off the Blinders—Sarah Devereaux on the Future of Systems Thinking
Sarah Devereaux, former head of executive development at Google, opened SPARK HR Day 1 by warning that HR’s traditional "laser focus" is blinding leaders to systemic risks. She used the metaphor of a racehorse with blinders to illustrate how narrow...
Best of SPARK HR Podcasts: Part 1
HR Daily Advisor released a curated recap of the most compelling SPARK HR podcast episodes, featuring AI expert Ben Eubanks, leadership strategist Adam Hickman, and transformation leader Betsy Lopez‑Riley. The series previews the upcoming SPARK HR 2026 conference and distills...
The Resume Is NOT Dead, but It Needs to Evolve
Elon Musk’s recent tweet urging engineers to submit only three bullet points sparked talk of the resume’s demise, but the piece argues the document is merely evolving. Over decades, resumes have shed personal details and adapted to technologies like applicant...
The Human Skills HR Must Prioritize to Make AI Work
HR leaders are confronting a surge in AI use while many employees lack the skills to validate and guide machine‑generated outputs. Roughly two‑thirds of U.S. workers say their firms encourage AI, yet a third receive no training, creating risk of...
EEOC Provides Guidance on Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation
In February 2026 the EEOC issued FAQs clarifying that telework can be a reasonable accommodation under the ADA only when it effectively enables an employee to perform essential job functions. The guidance, aimed at federal agencies, also applies to private...
Faces of HR: Why Linda Nedelcoff Is Redefining HR as a Strategy Powerhouse
Linda Nedelcoff, EVP of Strategy and Human Resources at TruStage, is reshaping HR from a support role to a strategic engine. Drawing on an accounting background, she fuses data‑driven rigor with people‑first leadership, embedding purpose, clear expectations, and lived reality...
Garnishments: Understanding Orders to Withhold Wages
Employers must act quickly when they receive a wage‑garnishment order, withholding the appropriate portion of an employee’s pay and remitting it to the creditor or agency. In Massachusetts, the law caps garnishments at the lesser of 15% of gross wages...
New Employee Benefits Developments for New York Employers
New York’s Secure Choice Savings Program, launched Oct. 8, 2025, obliges private‑sector employers with 10 or more NY employees to either register for a Roth‑IRA‑based retirement offering or certify exemption by mid‑2026, with staggered deadlines based on workforce size. The federal...
Court’s Ruling Offers Cautionary Tale for Clients Using Generative AI
In February 2026, Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled that a client’s communications with the Claude generative‑AI platform were not shielded by attorney‑client privilege or the work‑product doctrine. The decision hinged on the lack of a lawyer in the exchange, Claude’s...
HRDA Frankly Speaking: Reading the Data
HR leaders must translate employee‑survey data into actionable stories that reveal systemic gaps for managers. I/O psychologist Kamaria Scott advises focusing on underlying themes such as trust, clarity, resources, and recognition rather than raw percentages. She stresses linking survey signals...
Pendulum Swings Again: DOL’s Proposed Rule on Independent Contractors
On February 27, 2026 the U.S. Department of Labor issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would revert the federal independent‑contractor test to the 2021 framework, emphasizing the degree of control and the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss. The...
HR Leadership: The Era of Responsible Influence
HR executives have moved beyond administrative duties to become strategic architects of business, mission, and human outcomes. Automation and AI have offloaded routine tasks, pushing leaders to address ethical AI use, fairness, and moral decision‑making. In a climate of constant...
Faces of HR: How Jeanna Shapiro Built a Career on High Performance
Jeanna Shapiro, with nearly 25 years in global professional services, has risen from an entry‑level role at Booz Allen Hamilton to become Grant Thornton’s Chief People & Culture Officer and a member of its Executive Committee. Her career trajectory—from executive...
Ohio Jury Awards $22.5M in Pregnancy Accommodation/Wrongful Death Case
An Ohio jury awarded roughly $22.5 million in a wrongful‑death suit after a logistics company denied a pregnant employee’s request to work from home. The employee, who needed bed‑rest for a cervical complication, was placed on unpaid leave despite medical documentation...
Why Your RTO Mandate Is Exposing a Leadership Gap—And How to Fix It
The article argues that mandatory return‑to‑office (RTO) policies expose a leadership gap, as executives often lack a clear purpose for physical presence. It proposes a three‑part Leadership Audit—purpose, activity, and managerial mindset—to align RTO with business outcomes. A decade‑long case...
4th Circuit Rules Agreements Can’t Shorten Time to File Antidiscrimination Claims
The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that employers cannot require employees to sign agreements that shorten the filing deadlines for Title VII or the Age Discrimination in Employment Act claims. The decision arose from a case where a former...
HRDA Frankly Speaking: Don’t Let Yesterday’s Wins Sink Tomorrow’s Success
HR Daily Advisor featured Nicholas Lawrence, Chick‑fil‑A’s Executive Director of People and Culture, warning HR leaders that past successes can breed complacency. He argues that a winning culture must be earned daily, not rested on trophies, and that leaders need...
How HR Can Win, Manager to Manager
HR leaders must move beyond planning and give managers the structures, skills, and motivation needed to execute. I/O psychologist Kamaria Scott argues that managers are the primary conduit for employee experience and often operate without the support they themselves require....
How to Plan and Conduct Successful HR Data Migration
HR data migration is critical when enterprises shift to cloud SaaS platforms, merge, or restructure. The article outlines the pitfalls of dirty data, security compliance, and technical mapping that can jeopardize accuracy and legal standing. It recommends a four‑step framework:...
DOL’s Workplace AI Strategy Follows Historical Approach to Technology
The U.S. Department of Labor is adopting a historically consistent, guidance‑first strategy for AI, emphasizing workforce readiness before regulation. In February 2026 it issued an AI Literacy Framework to teach workers how to generate and evaluate AI outputs. The agency...
NLRB Finding Its Way, or Does Anyone Benefit From a Nonfunctioning Board?
The National Labor Relations Board regained a quorum in January 2026 when James Murphy and Scott Mayer were sworn in, ending a year‑long impasse caused by President Trump’s removal of member Gwen Wilcox. The three‑member board now functions as at‑will...
Department of Labor Issues FMLA Guidance in Recent Opinion Letters
The U.S. Department of Labor released opinion letters clarifying two key FMLA issues. First, travel time to and from qualifying medical appointments for an employee’s own serious health condition or a covered family member is counted as protected FMLA leave,...
When Good Intentions Create Risk: What the EEOC’s Coca-Cola Case Means for HR Teams
The EEOC has filed a lawsuit against Coca‑Cola Beverages Northeast for running a fully paid, two‑day development event that was open only to female employees, alleging a Title VII violation. The case highlights how well‑intentioned diversity programs can unintentionally exclude protected...
What Human-Centered Leadership Really Looks Like Right Now – Webinar Recap
Dr. Chrissy Roth‑Francis, Director of Talent Development at LinkedIn, led a webinar on what human‑centered leadership looks like in practice. She highlighted three core themes: defining leadership as personal connection, making adaptability the primary skill, and protecting the manager‑direct‑report bond...
Lucas Tells Fortune 500 to Avoid DEI Discrimination
On Feb. 26, 2026 EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas sent a letter to Fortune 500 CEOs urging their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to comply with civil‑rights statutes. The agency also sued Coca‑Cola Northeast for a women‑only networking event, deeming...
Meta Leading the Great Tech Shift: Chelsea MacMullan on SPARK HR
Meta’s Org Change Management lead Chelsea MacMullan shared how the tech giant is preparing its workforce for an AI‑driven future at SPARK HR 2026. She highlighted three core themes: closing the leadership‑employee expectation gap, demanding a deep, purpose‑first understanding of...
Be Prepared for ICE: What To Do When ICE Visits Your Workplace
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has become the highest‑funded U.S. law‑enforcement agency, prompting a surge in raids and I‑9 audits. Most employers lack formal procedures to handle these encounters, leaving staff vulnerable to confusion and legal risk. The article outlines...
Unleashing Gen AI Success Through Team Collaboration
Generative AI can transform businesses, but tools alone aren't enough. Success depends on a cultural shift that gives teams autonomy while providing strategic support, resources, and clear accountability. Companies that create sandbox environments and foster cross‑functional collaboration see measurable gains,...
The My Pleasure Advantage: Why Chick-Fil-A Wins on People – Webinar Recap
In a recent HCI webinar, Nicholas Lawrence, Chick‑fil‑A’s Executive Director of People & Culture, outlined how the chain builds a gold‑standard service culture. He highlighted three pillars: consistent standards over time, intentional definition and enforcement of those standards, and leadership...
HRDA Frankly Speaking: McKesson’s Sr. Director of Talent Succession: How to Make Engagement a Repeatable Outcome
Jenessa Disler, Senior Director of Talent Succession at McKesson, highlighted at SPARK HR 2026 that cohesive messaging across performance, feedback, development, and succession systems is essential for repeatable employee engagement. She explained that misaligned goals and feedback cause engagement to...
Faces of HR: Why Carolyn Archibald Traded the Bar for the HR Suite
Carolyn Archibald, formerly a legal secretary and office manager, now serves as Director of Human Resources at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, a California law firm with over 250 staff across ten offices. After earning a master’s in HR management, she...
Presenting? Your Hands Point the Way
A recent Harvard Business Review article highlights that hand gestures, especially the “illustrator” style, make speakers more persuasive and understandable. Two studies cited show that using hands to visually represent concepts boosts audience comprehension and perceived credibility. Professor Michael Maslanka...
Hiring: Why It’s So Slow and What Might Speed It Up
A GoodTime survey of 504 senior talent‑acquisition leaders found that 90% of companies missed their hiring goals, with AI‑generated fake candidates identified as the top hiring threat for 2026. Gartner warns that AI has turned recruiting into an arms race,...
Are We There Yet? Reviewing Impasse in Union Negotiations
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the NLRB’s finding that the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra’s declaration of impasse was premature, despite a year of negotiations, 14 bargaining sessions and a federal mediator. The court stressed that a failed ratification vote...
EEOC Rescinds 2024 Workplace Harassment Guidance: What Employers Need to Know
The EEOC voted 2‑1 on Jan 22, 2026 to rescind its 2024 Enforcement Guidance on Harassment, its first major policy reversal since regaining a quorum in late 2025. The original guidance modernized Title VII interpretation, incorporated Bostock, remote‑work issues, and gender‑identity protections. The rescission...
Supreme Court to Decide Timing of Actuarial Assumptions in Withdrawal Liability Calculations
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted certiorari to resolve a split among federal circuits over whether multi‑employer pension plans must use actuarial assumptions fixed at the end of the plan year or may adopt new assumptions after year‑end based on...
How to Stop the “Great Reversal”: A 4-Step Strategy for Female Retention
New Census Bureau data shows the gender pay gap widening for the first time in two decades and female representation in leadership plateauing. Shelly MacConnell, WIN’s chief strategy officer, proposes a four‑step framework to reverse this trend: conduct organization‑wide pay...
The Clock Is Ticking: Why Statutes of Limitations Matter
Business owners often postpone addressing disputes, assuming they can resolve issues later, but such delays can cause claims to become time‑barred. A statute of limitations is a procedural deadline that, once missed, results in dismissal of the claim without relief....
HRDA Frankly Speaking: Solve for Uncertainty, Not Complexity
Betsy Lopez‑Riley, speaking ahead of SPARK HR 2026, argues that HR leaders should focus on eliminating uncertainty rather than simplifying complexity. She notes that people can manage intricate tasks, but unclear trade‑offs erode confidence during change. Lopez‑Riley will present sessions on immediate...
The New Reality of Worksite Enforcement: Navigating I-9 and E-Verify Shifts in 2026
In 2025, ICE revived large‑scale worksite enforcement targeting I‑9 compliance, while the Department of Homeland Security dismantled key immigration programs, ending humanitarian parole, destabilizing TPS, and terminating automatic EAD extensions. Simultaneously, states such as Iowa and Ohio introduced mandatory E‑Verify...
Landmark AI Rulings Will Have Effect on All Litigation
Two U.S. federal courts issued landmark decisions on the use of generative AI in litigation. In Warner v. Gilbarco, the Eastern District of Michigan held that AI‑assisted work directed by counsel remains protected under the work‑product doctrine. Conversely, the Southern...
EEO Reporting Deadline Has Passed for Massachusetts Employers: What to Know If You Missed It
The February 2 deadline for Massachusetts employers to submit their federal EEO reports to the secretary of the commonwealth has passed. Covered firms—those with 100 or more Massachusetts employees and a federal EEO filing obligation—must now use the online portal to file...
Even With Accommodations, Essential Functions Are Required Under ADA
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that two West Virginia employees were not protected under the ADA because they could not perform their jobs' essential functions, even with accommodations. In the first case, an accounting assistant with breast...
HRDA Frankly Speaking: The Silent Feedback
The article argues that excessive workplace niceness creates a silent feedback loop that deprives leaders of truthful input. Employees often withhold criticism to avoid conflict, leading to sanitized information reaching decision‑makers. This dynamic hampers productivity, innovation, and effective problem‑solving. Amira...
When Fairness Meets Finance: The New Reality of People Decisions
People decisions such as pay, promotions, and headcount are under heightened scrutiny, demanding both fairness and financial discipline. A HiBob survey of 4,700 managers reveals that nearly three‑quarters faced formal challenges to their decisions in the past year. Managers spend...
DOL Clarifies Travel To and From Medical Appointments Is FMLA Protected
The U.S. Department of Labor issued new guidance confirming that travel time to and from medical appointments qualifies as protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The clarification applies whether the employee is seeking treatment for their own...