Over the years, I've had conversations with many business leaders about workplace culture. Most of those conversations center on the common goal of creating an environment where employees feel valued, respected, and supported. But a recent Harvard Business Review article made me pause to think: Can a workplace become too nice?

Organizations spend considerable resources attracting talent, but many still stumble when it comes to onboarding. After the recruitment process, onboarding is the first impression a new hire receives and is critical to formulating the way they view the organization. New research from a 2026 Adobe Acrobat study suggests that common onboarding frustrations continue to undermine the employee experience at a point when engagement should be building.

As employers prepare for open enrollment and the upcoming benefits season, now is a good time to revisit the basics of Section 125 plans. Section 125 plans are named for the IRS code that authorizes them. Section 125 authorizes employers to offer certain benefits on a tax-favored basis through a written benefit plan. Most commonly known as Cafeteria Plans, they are also known as Premium Only Plan, Premium Conversion Plan, or Flexible Benefits Plan.

As students return to school and families settle into new routines, many working parents find that the end of summer doesn’t mean the end of childcare challenges. In many cases, it simply means trading one set of logistical hurdles for another.

On August 6, 2026, Sen. Bernie Sanders reintroduced the Guaranteed Paid Vacation Act, legislation that would establish a federal right to paid annual vacation for workers. Rep. Seth Magaziner introduced companion legislation in the House with support from 86 House members.

New $103,265 fee for H-1B applicants proposed: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a new $103,265 fee for every H-1B application subject to the annual “cap” lottery. If finalized, the fee would be payable when the petition is filed and would apply in addition to all existing H-1B filing fees and other required payments. This is only a proposal, and the new fee is not yet required.

What if candidates could publicly call out your company for ghosting them? Well, now that is the reality. A newly launched website called Did They Ghost You? gives job seekers a place to report employers who stop communicating with them after an interview. And apparently, there is no shortage of stories to tell. Within weeks of launching, the site had more than 2,000 companies listed, including some of the biggest names in technology, finance, and media. The website may have started partly...

Two recent reports, considered together, describe a workforce development challenge that goes beyond how artificial intelligence will change any single job. A recent report from ETS found that U.S. workers understand the need to continually adapt. In fact, 78% said job security now requires continuous adaptation, and 85% said upskilling or reskilling is a necessity. Yet only 71% reported proactively developing new skills, a lower share than in other high-growth countries such as India...

For the past several years, artificial intelligence has been promoted as a workplace productivity game changer. Employees report that AI tools help them complete tasks faster, automate routine work, and reclaim valuable time during the workweek. In fact, a recent study by Glean’s Work AI Institute found that employees estimate AI saves them approximately 11 hours each week.

Managers are often the first to notice when something isn't quite right. An employee who was once highly engaged becomes withdrawn. A top performer begins missing deadlines. Team members express concerns about a colleague who appears overwhelmed, anxious, or unusually emotional. While managers are not expected to serve as counselors or clinicians, they are increasingly expected to recognize when employees may need support and know how to respond appropriately. That is why more...

Affirmative action requirements for federal contractors were not fully established until 1978, when the U.S. Department of Labor created the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and issued the regulations contained in Executive Order 11246’s 41 CFR Part 60 and related provisions.

Supreme Court decision on same sex sports may lead to the employment arena: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Title IX permits schools to limit participation in girls' and women's sports to students assigned female at birth and that state laws restricting such participation do not violate the Equal Protection Clause. This landmark decision provides critical guidance for educational institutions and state policymakers on athletic eligibility rules.

How many of you have had a strategic plan significantly disrupted in the last two to three years? I have, and this isn't a failure of leadership, it's a signal that the environment has changed and our leadership has to evolve. Organizations spend significant time developing strategies, setting goals, and creating implementation plans. Yet many well-designed initiatives fail to deliver the expected results because a strategy's success ultimately depends on the organization's...

For years, employers focused on compensation, benefits, and perks as the keys to employee engagement. While those factors remain important, research continues to point to friendship as another powerful driver of workplace satisfaction.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) this month had two nominees to the National Labor Relations Board confirmed, securing a 3-1 Republican majority. Republican James Macy, a U.S. Department of Labor official, and Democrat David Prouty, were confirmed as part of a grouping of 74 nominations in a 51-47 vote.  

Artificial intelligence has become a workplace staple for many HR professionals. From drafting policies and writing job descriptions to supporting recruiting, performance management, and workforce analytics, AI is helping organizations move faster than ever before. But as adoption increases, so do questions about accountability, ethics, and the very real consequences of getting it wrong.

Background checking laws are constantly changing, and it is important for employers to keep up with changes in each location in which they conduct business. It is also worth noting that laws and regulations can vary by state, county, and even by city.

Does a one-size-fits-all health benefit program hurt employers? A new report suggests small businesses are losing talented employees because management isn't offering benefits that actually fit workers' needs and priorities. "Today's workforce needs aren't one-size-fits-all anymore, but many small businesses still feel forced into one-size-fits-all benefits," according to the "Small Business 'Bene-Fit' Gap Report" from Justworks, a cloud-based HR...

Most workplace communication is written with good intentions. We add “please” to be polite and “ASAP” to emphasize urgency. Yet research suggests these common phrases can sometimes have the opposite effect, creating confusion, reducing clarity, and slowing productivity.

Artificial intelligence is creating a paradox in the early-career job market.  Companies are increasingly using AI to perform tasks traditionally assigned to entry-level employees, yet new research suggests many employers are not abandoning early-career hiring. Instead, they are changing what they expect from employees entering the workforce.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is making it clear that supporting employees during pregnancy is a growing workplace priority. Under its latest Strategic Enforcement Plan that launched in June, the agency is aggressively targeting workplace failures to accommodate pregnancy-related limitations. They are actively targeting companies of all sizes with over 15 employees, and recent federal filings reveal that traditional, rigid HR policies are no longer legally...

For years, manufacturers have faced a common challenge: finding and retaining the next generation of talent. As experienced workers retire and competition for skilled employees continues to increase, HR leaders are uniquely positioned to help reshape the perception of manufacturing careers and build sustainable talent pipelines.

Hiring Lab predicts that by 2040, there could be 1.2 million fewer workers in the workforce and as many as 5.6 million fewer jobs. The unemployment rate could rise to almost 8%.  The prediction is based on U.S. labor force statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Force Turnover Survey (JOLTS). In 2025, there were approximately 159.1 million workers in the U.S. labor force across the 10 employment supersectors tracked by JOLTS. By 2040, the size of...

NLRB is up to full strength: The U.S. Senate on Friday confirmed two nominees to the National Labor Relations Board, securing a 3-1 Republican majority. Republican James Macy, a U.S. Department of Labor official, and Democrat David Prouty, were confirmed as part of a grouping of 74 nominations in a 51-47 vote.

For decades, we've seen steady progress in expanding opportunities for women in leadership. But new research published in Harvard Business Review suggests that while attitudes may have improved, the day-to-day experience of leadership looks very different depending on who you ask – and much of that difference comes down to how we judge who is ready to lead.