TROY, MI – September 29, 2026 - The American Society of Employers (ASE) released results from its 2026 Health, Welfare, and Retirement Plans Survey, based on data from 194 participating organizations.

If there is one thing I've learned from talking with employers across Michigan, it's that challenges rarely arrive one at a time.

The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued three opinion letters of interest to employers.  Although opinion letters are not the force of law, they do provide guidance as how WHD will review situations that arise. Two were more pertinent to ASE employers:

Ghosting is usually discussed as something job candidates do to employers. A candidate stops responding to emails, misses an interview, or accepts an offer and never shows up. But often, employers ghost candidates too. And when it happens after an interview, the impact can be particularly damaging.

Manufacturing Day is this Friday, October 2, and is a good reminder that attracting the next generation of manufacturing talent takes more than putting a “Now Hiring” sign outside the building.

Grail, a biotechnical company based out of California and with locations in Washington, DC, Research Triangle Park NC, and London, UK, has developed new multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test that checks a person’s blood for cancer. The company has conducted many clinical studies with over 380,000 participants.

iCIMS AI hiring tool under attack for discriminatory learning: In Harper v. Sirius XM Radio, LLC, No. 2:25-cv-12403 (E.D. Mich.), plaintiff Arshon Harper alleges that Sirius XM’s use of its AI application screening tool (called, “iCIMS”) discriminated against him on the basis of race.

Performance reviews influence pay decisions, promotions, development opportunities, and succession planning. While most organizations strive for fairness and objectivity, recent research suggests that gender-based differences in performance feedback remain common, particularly when managers evaluate subjective traits such as communication style, leadership, assertiveness, and emotional expression.

Two weeks ago, a fire at a Southeast- Michigan100 year old golf club provided a powerful reminder that emergencies are not abstract possibilities. In a matter of hours, employees can lose access to their workplace, planned events can be canceled, critical equipment and records can be destroyed, and normal operations can come to a sudden stop. The weeks that follow may require difficult decisions about employee communication, work arrangements, payroll, insurance, member services, and...

When an employee is not working out, termination may seem like a straightforward business decision. In an at-will employment relationship, employers generally have significant flexibility to end employment. But “at-will” does not mean “anything goes.”

In an increasingly crowded talent market, employers often look for ways to stand out. Some organizations have turned to humor in job postings, hoping that witty language, clever headlines, or playful descriptions will capture attention and make their opportunities more attractive. While the approach may generate clicks and social media engagement, new research suggests it may not improve candidate attraction and could even create unintended consequences.

Although management-side attorneys have expressed skepticism about the claim, Andrew Hartley filed a lawsuit against Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., alleging that he was unlawfully forced to compromise his religious beliefs through participation in the company's 401(k) plan due to his moral objection to fossil fuel investments. Hartley brought the claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits religious discrimination in the workplace.

The daughter tax: Daughters are nearly two times (1.9) more likely than sons to provide unpaid, hands-on care for aging parents, according to recent analysis from AI-powered long-term care prediction platform Waterlily.

When leaders think about building successful organizations, conversations typically focus on engagement, productivity, retention, and performance. These goals are essential, but they are often supported by something less frequently discussed. Employees who experience joy at work are more likely to be connected, committed, and motivated to contribute their best.

As organizations continue to evaluate workplace flexibility, new research suggests that remote work may offer significant benefits for employee well-being without the drawbacks many employers fear. A recent University of Colorado study published in Frontiers in Psychology, "Rethinking Return-to-Office: The Positive Impact of Remote Work on Well-Being, Connection, and Employee Retention," examined survey data from more than 7,700 employees at a large healthcare organization and...