EEOC scores on illegal DEI: The EEOC announced that Planned Parenthood of Illinois has agreed to pay $500,000 to end the agency’s investigation into allegations that the nonprofit allegedly “segregated employees by race, subjected white employees to harassment, and engaged in disparate treatment against white employees regarding terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.”  The EEOC issued reasonable cause findings indicating that Planned Parenthood had “mandated ‘affinity caucuses’ that were segregated by race” and that it “demanded that all employees attend DEI-related training sessions which involved repeated harassing and derogatory statements targeting white employees, including that they ‘are White and do not feel racism the same way non-White patients feel,’ and that ‘white supremacy is exerted at every level of oppression (individual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal).’” The employer allegedly also denied white employees access to time off that it granted only to black employees. Planned Parenthood took action to remove the manager responsible for the alleged misconduct, the agency reported.  Source: EEOC 3/19/26

IBM pays $17 million to settle DEI False Claims Act: IBM agreed to pay the Trump administration $17 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act with efforts to increase the diversity of its workforce, which the U.S. Department of Justice said was the first settlement under its initiative against diversity, equity and inclusion. The administration claimed IBM tied "bonus compensation to achieving demographic targets;" altering interview eligibility criteria based on race, sex or gender; developing race and gender demographic goals for business units; and offering training, mentoring, leadership development programs and other opportunities for certain employees based on race, sex or gender. Besides the $17 million, the government notes in its announcement that IBM has also taken "voluntary remedial measures," including terminating or modifying the policies at issue.

5% of the population accounts for almost 50% of the spending on health: A new KFF analysis found that 5% of the U.S. population accounted for nearly half of all health spending in 2023 – spending an average of $72,918 annually. People with health spending in the top 1% spent an average of $150,467 per year. KFF’s analysis examined spending variation by age, gender, race, insurance coverage status and presence of certain health conditions. Adults diagnosed with a serious or chronic disease have significantly higher out-of-pocket spending. Health spending includes individual out-of-pocket payments and payments made by payers for care provided during the year. The report also showed that people age 55 and older accounted for 57% of total health spending in 2023, despite making up only 30% of the population. By contrast, people under 35 make up 44% of the population and were responsible for 21% of health spending. 50% of the population with the lowest total health spending accounted for only 3% of all health spending – averaging just $433. Approximately 14% of the population had zero health expenditures in 2023.  Women have higher health spending than men in their 20s, 30s and early 40s – thanks in part to pregnancy and delivery-related care. In older age groups, spending differences are not that different between men and women.  HR Executive 3/18/26

Younger workers see higher rates of chronic illnesses: Young workers are experiencing the fastest increase in healthcare spending, fueled by the rising rates of chronic conditions among millennials.  That was one of the major findings from UnitedHealthcare and Health Action Council's ninth annual white paper. The report shows how high-cost medical care and differing utilization patterns are driving up healthcare expenses for both employees and their employers.  From 2023–24 to 2024–25, the percentage of millennials considered "well" decreased from 25% to 22%, while the share with chronic conditions such as obesity, depression and hypertension increased from 44% to 47%. Millennial and Gen Z workers are visiting emergency rooms more frequently and engaging with primary care providers less often than any other generation, the report found. Millennials also have the highest behavioral health utilization of any generation, with 36% experiencing behavioral health comorbidity — the co-existence of mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression with other chronic conditions. The report also revealed a significant increase in major health events, which are defined as medical claims exceeding $100,000 annually. These are now twice as common as they were five years ago, and the average monthly claim for these events has jumped nearly 40% since 2020. Source: EBN 3/5/26

AI note taking case hitting the courts: Otter.AI Privacy Litigation, now a consolidated case before Judge Eumi K. Lee in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Otter.ai’s notetaking tools recorded private conversations without the consent of all participants and used those recordings to train its AI models without adequate disclosure. No substantive rulings have been issued yet, but employment attorneys say the case is already signaling where liability could land for employers. “The AI transcription and recording issue is a hot issue,” says Bradford Kelley, a shareholder at Littler Mendelson who co-authored a February 2026 analysis of the litigation. According to Littler, federal wiretap law and most state counterparts follow a one‑party consent rule. Still, approximately a dozen states require all participants to consent to the interception or recording of a conversation. A single virtual meeting that includes employees, customers, or candidates in multiple jurisdictions can therefore trigger overlapping and sometimes inconsistent consent obligations that many employers have not fully mapped, according to Littler.  It can be worse for multinationals dealing with meetings across borders. Source: HR Executive 4/6/26

UIA offers online employer seminars about the new MiUI platform: Employers and unemployment account administrators can now sign up for online seminars hosted by the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) to learn how to file quarterly wage reports and make tax payments using UIA’s new, user-friendly MiUI user platform. The live Employer/TPA Seminars on Wage Reporting and Payments in MiUI seminars are scheduled for Wednesdays in April. Register for an upcoming seminar on the Coaching Sessions page at Michigan.gov/UIA.  First Quarter 2026 Wage and Tax Reports and employer payments are due Monday, April 27. With the launch of the first phase of MiUI, reports and payments can no longer be submitted using UIA’s old Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) platform.  The seminars will benefit those who want to learn more about updated file formats, submitting wage reports, and making payments in MiUI in time for the April 27 reporting deadline. An overview of activating MiUI accounts and assigning third-party administrators (TPAs) to act on an employer’s behalf will also be provided. Attendees will receive general information, instructions, and live demonstrations.  The seminars will not address questions from employers or administrators regarding individual MiUI accounts. Those seeking information about specific accounts or wage reports should direct their questions to the Office of Employer Ombudsman by calling 1-855-484-2636 (Option 4) or e-mailing UIA-MiUIEmployerSupport@Michigan.gov.