As business leaders, we spend a great deal of time thinking about how to get the best from our people. We invest in training, culture-building, performance management, and flexible work policies. But there's one factor most of us consistently overlook: when our employees do their work, not just how they do it.

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.

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.”  

Each year, the President initiates the federal budget process by submitting a proposed budget to Congress. Depending on the political makeup of Congress, that proposal may be revised significantly or fail to gain traction altogether. Ultimately, Congress holds the authority to determine federal spending.

With employee engagement at an all-time low and organizational budgets tightening, there has never been a more important time to reevaluate your employee benefits. What are you doing to show employees they are valued? Has it just been an occasional catered lunch or free coffee? Are they even interested in what you are offering? Making some small changes can help you use your benefits budget more wisely and offer things that actually contribute to employee satisfaction, and make...

HR leaders today are caught between two powerful currents pulling in opposite directions. Budget pressures driven by economic uncertainty are making it harder to compete for skilled talent, while the rapid advance of AI and automation is raising the stakes for having the right people, with the right capabilities, in place. Getting this balance wrong can undermine an organization's ability to compete.

Asynchronous (async) video interviews, which were once considered a niche experiment in hiring, have been moving into the mainstream. In this format, candidates record answers to preset questions on their own schedule, allowing employers to review submissions later (thus not requiring synchronicity in time or location). Tools like HireVue, Jobma, and Willo provide async options, and the appeal for employers is obvious. But as the practice spreads, a more complicated story is emerging. While...

Virtual meetings have quietly built a language all their own, and once you notice it, you can’t unhear it. From quick handoffs to polite exits, these phrases act like shortcuts that keep conversations moving and everyone on the same page. What do these phrases actually mean? And how are they shaping the way we communicate and collaborate in virtual meetings?

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.

Artificial intelligence is changing how work gets done, and HR professionals are at the center of navigating that shift. We are helping organizations reskill workforces, redefine job roles, and prepare employees for a future that looks very different from today. However, there are four key skills that remain difficult for AI to replicate and worth intentional investment in our people.

As global fuel prices climb in response to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, employers in the United States are beginning to feel the ripple effects. Gas prices have spiked sharply at the pump, with averages in many regions pushing above $4 per gallon, adding strain for workers who commute or use personal vehicles for their jobs. In Asia, governments and businesses are experimenting with policies that help ease the burden of high energy costs on employees and the economy.

On March 26, 2026, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) focused on the elimination of racially discriminatory “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) practices by federal contractors and their subcontractors, ensuring merit-based and efficient contracting and employment.  This Executive Order focuses specifically on race discrimination within DEI, aligning with the administration’s broader emphasis on nondiscrimination policies related to White...

Engaged employees are one of the strongest advantages an organization can have. They’re more productive, more committed, and far less likely to leave. That’s why companies invest so heavily in building engagement.

As hybrid work arrangements and mobile workforces continue to expand, employers operating within the City of Detroit face increasing complexity when determining how to properly withhold local income tax for non‑resident employees. Detroit’s non‑resident withholding rules apply only to compensation for services physically performed within city limits, yet the practical application can vary depending on the nature of the employee’s work, their history of work locations, and how...

Michigan unemployment contribution rates: Contribution rates for employers with three or more years of experience will range from 0.06% to 12.2% in 2026. The maximum rate of 12.2% includes an 8.2% maximum chargeable benefit component, a 3.0% maximum account building component, and a 1.0% maximum nonchargeable benefits component. Note that if the employer has submitted no quarterly tax reports, that employer's maximum tax rate will be 12.2%, and the employer also will be assessed a...

For the first time ever, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out an Oscar for Best Casting. Essentially, casting is HR. Casting directors study roles deeply, evaluate talent honestly, and make strategic decisions about who belongs where. When they get it right, everything clicks. When they get it wrong, even the biggest budget can't save the production.

Onboarding new employees can be a smooth, automated process these days, but it comes with a catch: the dreaded “no-show” hire. You’ve sent the offer, watched them complete online forms, even collected Section 1 of the I-9 and then… nothing. They never show up for their first day.

Earlier this month marked six years since the COVID pandemic turned the world of work upside down. Remote and hybrid work didn’t just change where we work; it also changed how we show up. Few workplace debates have lingered quite like this one: Should employees be forced to turn their cameras on?

The United States has crossed a demographic threshold with no precedent in its history. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 104.3 million Americans, roughly one in three adults, are currently not participating in the labor force. The primary driver behind that figure is not discouragement, disability, or school enrollment. It is retirement.

Programs in which college students combine education with work has grown in popularity the past few years.  Degreed apprenticeships are an old yet new approach for developing employees.  A report released by New America’s Center on Education & Labor found that about 350 institutions nationwide offered nearly 600 degreed apprenticeship programs integrated with associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees, preparing students for 91 different occupations.  The...

Federal contractor minimum wage increasing: The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has announced the minimum wage rate for federal contractors performing work on federal contracts covered by Executive Order 13658, Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors (the order).

HR leaders have carried a heavy load over the past several years. Many organizations continue to manage burnout and shifting employee expectations while struggling to find talent. Organizations that focus on engagement, connection, and trust are finding that they can build stronger teams and more resilient workplace cultures.