New survey shows 3.3% increase in salary budgets for 2027: Despite the current economic turbulence, most employees in a majority of companies will be getting a base salary increase for 2027, according to a large survey by Korn Ferry. Almost half (47%) of the 5,512 participating employers said they expect to provide salary hikes to at least 95% of their employees, while 79% expect to do so for at least 80% of employees. Only 2% said they are planning no increases for anyone. U.S. organizations expect to boost overall base-salary budgets next year by an average of 3.3% and a median of 3%. The median increase for U.S. executive and senior management is also anticipated to come in at 3.0%. The survey was conducted in June of this year. Source: HR Dive 8/31/26
Hemorrhoids rise to ADA disability per EEOC: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed an amicus brief with the Third Circuit on Wednesday arguing that a former FedEx supervisor's hemorrhoid condition could rise to the level of a disability under federal anti-discrimination law, despite a trial court's conclusion otherwise. The federal agency said in its brief that the district court "went astray" with its analysis of what medical issues can trigger the Americans with Disabilities Act amid a case brought against FedEx Supply Chain by onetime company operations supervisor Christopher Butler. A Pennsylvania federal judge sided with FedEx in March, concluding that Butler's hemorrhoids didn't rise to the level of a disability under the ADA. The judge said Butler hadn't shown his hemorrhoids substantially limited him in a major life activity, as the court said his filings lacked enough detail about the alleged pain and difficulty the condition caused. Source: Law360 9/9/26
Calling non-listed references about job candidates: Netskope CEO Sanjay Berihe wants to understand how candidates behave during conflict and difficult periods, beyond how they describe themselves in an interview, according to Fortune. He asks candidates to explain their interpersonal style and what happens when they disagree with someone, then poses similar questions to former employers and other professional contacts or to someone in the department where the conflict occurred. He said the cost of a poor cultural match increases as a company hires rapidly and adds employees across functions and locations. Contacting an unlisted former manager is not automatically unlawful. The legality and risk vary by jurisdiction and by how the information is collected and used. Employers must not use background or reference information in a way that discriminates against applicants, and questions should avoid seeking information about protected characteristics. Employers should also consider state rules, document the business purpose of reference checks, and apply the process consistently. The central fairness concern is that a candidate may never know that an unlisted former manager was contacted or have an opportunity to respond to inaccurate or misleading information. A candidate may have excluded someone because the relationship was toxic, abusive, or otherwise not representative of their work. Source: HR Executive 8/10/26
EEOC's shortened charge response deadlines create new challenges for employers: Employers responding to discrimination charges filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) may soon face significantly shorter deadlines, according to reports of an upcoming nationwide procedural change. While the agency has not yet publicly released the policy, the expected changes could dramatically affect how employers and counsel respond to EEOC investigations. Under current practice, employers generally have 30 days to submit a position statement, which is a written response explaining the company’s position regarding the allegations in a Charge of Discrimination. Although extensions have become more difficult to obtain in recent years, EEOC offices have often granted additional time when warranted by circumstances and an employer has been working in good faith to respond as soon as possible. The EEOC is expected to reduce the standard response period from 30 days to 15 days and adopt a much more restrictive approach to extension requests; in fact, we have already seen these new deadlines in recent requests for position statements. Employers may attempt to request an extension of this 15-day period, but our understanding is that these requests may be denied or any additional time granted will be very limited. These changes are expected to be agency-wide. Source: Littler 9/1/26
SHRM is rebranding their HR Conference: SHRM HR-X Live! will replace SHRM’s annual conference next year, according to an announcement from the association. The “credentialing academy” will sort attendees into four “dimensions” that SHRM said most contribute to stronger business growth: talent optimization, organizational impact, functional acceleration, and market discernment. Attendees will then follow a specific track through the program and earn a “SHRM HR-X Credential” at the end. The move is the latest pivot for SHRM, which drew mixed reactions when it announced it would change its inclusion conference to “SHRM Blueprint” in 2025. SHRM described its credentialed sessions as the “biggest departure” from previous conferences, with attendees participating in an interactive capstone lab to demonstrate learning “in a human + AI environment” and gaining a playbook of tools and strategies. The first SHRM HR-X Live! conference will take place June 27-30, 2027, in Chicago. Source: HR Dive 9/14/26
Hawaii is the happiest state in U.S.; not so much for Michigan: WalletHub's annual Happiest States in America report ranked all 50 states using measures tied to emotional and physical well-being, work environment, financial security, and community life. Hawaii earned the top spot, followed by New Jersey, Utah, Idaho, and Maryland. For a long time, Nebraska led the pack, but now it dropped to 6th. Michigan came in at 38th with Ohio right behind at 39th. Surprisingly enough, Indiana at 33 and Illinois at 26 beat Michigan. Hawaii topped the rankings thanks to strong scores in health, life satisfaction, and financial well-being. New Jersey ranked second, aided by the nation's lowest depression rate and the highest share of residents reporting supportive relationships and love in their lives. The Garden State also had the second-lowest separation and divorce rate and the second-highest share of households earning more than $75,000 annually. Utah finished third after ranking first for economic security, a measure that considers employment, insurance coverage and financial stability. The state also had the nation's lowest separation and divorce rate, residents worked fewer hours per week than those in any other state, and WalletHub ranked Utah second for weather. Source: USA Today 9/9/26