Managing People at Work

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Legal Issues

A collection of 93 issues

Strangers on your shop floor: What you need to know about OSHA’s new walkaround rule

OSHA’s recently issued final rule on who may represent employees during safety and health inspections has employers worried. As a practical matter, the “walkaround rule”—which takes effect May 31—means employers have little opportunity to object to third parties who employees choose to accompany OSH

Keep up with EEOC’s new, comprehensive enforcement guidance on harassment

The EEOC has published a new, comprehensive guidance document that covers what employers must do to avoid liability for workplace harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age and genetic information.

Beware co-worker harassment of transgender employees

Late last year, the EEOC issued proposed guidance on gender-identity discrimination and harassment, with final guidance due soon. Based on the proposed guidance, we know the EEOC views slights against transgender employees to be a form of sex-based harassment. Now it has filed a lawsuit that claims

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act final regulations go into effect June 18

The EEOC has issued the long-awaited final regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The regs are scheduled to be published today in the Federal Register, and will become effective in 60 days, on June 18, 2024.

Discipline consistently, equitably to avoid discrimination liability

Every employee who breaks the same rule should receive the same level of discipline. Absent some solid, fact-based reason, treating some employees more leniently than others is practically begging to be sued for discrimination. That’s especially true if a manager treats members of a particular prote

7 areas of employment law managers must know

Managers aren’t expected to serve as human resources experts. However, it is a supervisor’s job to follow internal policies and employment law. Here are seven areas of employment law you should have a high-level awareness of.

Think twice before demanding workers’ social-media passwords

To get around social-media roadblocks, some employers require employees to either open their accounts or turn over their social-media usernames and passwords. This obviously raises privacy concerns and has caught the attention of state legislators in several jurisdictions.

EEOC collects record $665 million from employers

The EEOC collected a record amount of money for victims of employment discrimination, according to the agency’s Annual Performance Report for Fiscal Year 2023. The report says the EEOC took in $665 million from employers on behalf of workers, a 30% increase compared to FY 2022.

Accommodating religion: 6 commandments for managers

With Easter landing on the last day of the month, religious discussions may begin floating through the workplace, and your HR department may receive accommodation requests for some of your team members. You are likely already aware of the caution needed for navigating religion in the workplace. Avoi

Discouraging even one worker from complaining violates the NLRA

The NLRA applies to just about every private-sector employer, setting strict rules for what employers can and cannot do when setting workplace rules. For example, it makes it illegal to tell employees not to discuss workplace conditions among themselves. However, until February, discussing work cond