Is it time for HR professionals to look for a new job? Anthropic has announced several new plug-ins for Claude, its hugely popular AI model. The plug-ins will enable the AI to handle much of the work done by professionals in fields like HR, finance, operations, and more. Anthropic partnered with some of the world’s largest enterprises to develop these plug-ins, which essentially turn Claude into an agent that is equipped with all the tools and guidance needed to carry out specific jobs.  Claude has an agent that can generate customized job descriptions, offer letters, onboarding materials, and performance summaries.  Coupled with an AI assistant scheduling interviews, AI bot creating applicant profiles from openly available web sources, AI agents conducting interviews and evaluating resumes and interviews for decision-making, AI assistants and agents in benefit design and selection, and AI agents making salary decisions, what is left for HR professionals to do? Source: Inc. 2/24/26

Age discrimination includes applicants in failure to hire claims: Plaintiffs in a closely watched lawsuit against HR vendor Workday may bring disparate-impact age discrimination claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, a federal judge held, rejecting an argument previously advanced by Workday.  Workday argued that Congress’ unsuccessful attempts to amend the ADEA to cover job applicants meant the plaintiffs in Mobley v. Workday, Inc., who are job applicants, were not covered by the law. Judge Rita Lin wrote that the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected similar arguments. Lin also held that prior district court precedent affirming the ADEA’s coverage of applicants was not disturbed by the end of Chevron deference. Source: HR Dive 3/9/26

Employers need to spend more time training employees on HSA and HRAs: The percentage of U.S. adults with a combination of HDHP coverage and a health savings account or health reimbursement arrangement fell to 15% in 2025, according to new survey data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald Research.  That was down from 18% in 2024, after EBRI and Greenwald reported 18%-19% for every year from 2020 through 2023. EBRI and Greenwald based the data on results from an online survey conducted in late 2025. The sample included 2,001 people ages 21 through 64. About 81% of the survey participants had employer-sponsored health coverage.  The questions about HDHPs and health accounts were part of a survey questionnaire that was designed to measure consumer engagement in healthcare and health coverage decisions. The percentage who could not remember whether they had been offered HRAs or HSAs increased to 14%, from 11%.  With healthcare a major expense in retirement, employers have an opportunity to assist employees in their post work environment educating them on how savings in a health savings account will be a boon in retirement. Source: HR Executive 3/5/26

More information on apprenticeships: The U.S. Department of Labor issued guidance on the Registered Apprenticeship system designed to improve flexibility and reduce burdens for program sponsors, promote clarity and consistency in the registration process across states, elevate quality standards, and increase transparency surrounding the structure of the National Apprenticeship system.  The agency also announced the launch of an online portal featuring data on apprenticeship program completion rates and a webpage highlighting apprenticeship registration timelines and transparency on registration performance.  By providing the clarity and streamlined processes needed to expand Registered Apprenticeship access, the guidance advances President Trump's ambitious goal of reaching and exceeding 1 million active apprentices set out in Executive Order, Preparing Americans for the High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future. Source: U.S. DOL 3/10/26

Minimum Wage in Canada: Effective April 1, 2026, Canada’s federal minimum wage increased from $17.75 to $18.15 per hour, reflecting a 2.1% CPI‑based adjustment for 2025. The federal minimum wage applies to employees in federally regulated private‑sector industries, including banking, telecommunications, broadcasting, and interprovincial transportation. Employers must pay the higher of the federal or applicable provincial/territorial minimum wage where provincial rates exceed the federal floor. Most provinces and territories continue to rely on annual indexation mechanisms, resulting in multiple increases throughout the year rather than a single national effective date.

Key confirmed increases for 2026 include:

• British Columbia: General minimum wage increases from $17.85 to $18.25 per hour effective June 1, 2026.
• Ontario: General minimum wage increases from $17.60 to $17.95 per hour effective October 1, 2026.
• Québec: General minimum wage increases from $16.10 to $16.60 per hour effective May 1, 2026.
• Atlantic Provinces (effective April 1, 2026, unless otherwise noted):
  • New Brunswick: $15.90 per hour
  • Newfoundland and Labrador: $16.35 per hour
  • Prince Edward Island: $17.00 per hour
  • Nova Scotia: $16.75 per hour on April 1, with a further increase to $17.00 scheduled for October 1, 2026
  • Yukon: Minimum wage increased to $18.51 per hour effective April 1, 2026.

Notably, Alberta has not announced any increase for 2026; its general minimum wage remains $15.00 per hour, unchanged since 2018. Source: Littler 4/2/26