Michigan has enacted significant updates to the Youth Employment Standards Act (YESA) that affects how employers hire, schedule, and manage employees under the age of 18. These changes were enacted through Public Act 196 of 2024 (House Bill 5594). HR professionals should focus on phased compliance following current rules now while preparing for substantial system and scheduling changes in 2026.

A memorandum dated April 17, 2026, directed to the Chief Acquisition Officers, et. al., by the Executive Order 14398 (EO 14398 or EO) of March 26, 2026, titled “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors” clarifies EO requirements that required a clause to be included in all federal contracts and subcontracts starting on April 25, 2026. EO 14398 specifically establishes that agencies should not do business with contractors that engage in any racially discriminatory...

For many U.S. employers, the H‑1B visa program has long helped fill hard‑to‑hire roles in specialized fields like engineering and information technology. These positions often require skills that are in short supply in the U.S. labor market. Throughout my career in technical recruitment, there were many times when hiring a candidate who required visa sponsorship appeared the only option to get the role filled with a qualified hire, despite reservations about the cost and potentially...

A recent survey from MyPerfectResume highlights a shift many HR leaders are already sensing: employees are still feeling pressure to progress in their careers, but their definition of success is changing.

Cannabis on path to legalization: The Trump administration moved to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule 1 drug to a Schedule III drug, a major federal shift recognizing its medicinal use.

A 2026 survey of roughly 750 corporate executives offers a clear view of how AI is showing up in organizations today. The message is straightforward. AI is being adopted widely, but not evenly. It is improving productivity in real ways, but those gains are still early and uneven. And most importantly for HR, it is changing the mix of jobs more than the total number of jobs.

As organizations continue to navigate hybrid and return-to-office strategies, employees are making their expectations clear: they don’t want to come into the office just to sit on Zoom calls. With rising gas prices and general uncertainty in the air, they need to see tangible value in being in the workplace rather than at home. Employers must make the commute worthwhile by offering clear benefits such as collaboration, community, and quiet spaces for deep thinking, which are often more...

The U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued new rules regarding substantive and technical violations of Form I-9 on March 16. 2026. These rules have changed several technical violations into substantive violations.  The difference is the amount of the fine per day if the violations are found in an ICE audit. 

For organizations, the upcoming April 24, 2026, deadline tied to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) web and mobile accessibility compliance is more than a technical issue. It’s a workforce, risk, and inclusion priority.

A new workforce study from HR technology company Isolved is raising important questions for employers who assume their workforce is stable. The findings, drawn from a survey of more than 1,300 full-time U.S. employees, reveal a gap between how workers feel and what they are actually planning to do next.

U.S. Secretary of Labor stepping down: Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a former one-term member of U.S. Congress from Oregon who became labor secretary in March 2025, stepped down on Monday amid fallout from an internal investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor watchdog that apparently probed a relationship she allegedly had with a subordinate, and other issues.

Many employers struggle with the decision of whether to conduct drug testing for employment purposes. While the answer is clear for safety-sensitive roles or positions where testing is mandatory, it becomes more complex when testing is optional.

The use of AI in hiring and employment decisions is a regulatory reality. The landscape is a growing patchwork of state and local rules, with some jurisdictions imposing strict transparency, testing, and oversight requirements. Even where AI-specific laws don’t exist, employers remain liable for discriminatory outcomes under existing employment and privacy protections. HR must build processes around transparency, implement rigorous testing, provide ongoing oversight, and conduct...

With recent military activity involving Iran, some employees may be called to support armed forces operations. The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) applies to nearly all employers, regardless of size, including the federal government, and is enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor, which investigates related complaints.

The function responsible for managing workforces has changed its name more than once, from the Personnel Office a century ago to today’s Human Resources department. Now, for the first time, a national legislature is considering making that evolution a matter of law.