Expert Analysis

• What 4th Circ.-Approved DEI Ban Means For Employers

  

  The Fourth Circuit’s recent lifting of the injunction against two executive orders banning recipients of federal funds from conducting diversity, equity and inclusion programs means employers should conduct audits to minimize their risk of violating federal antidiscrimination laws or the False Claims Act, says Jonathan Segal at Duane Morris.

• Emerging Themes In Post-Groff Accommodation Decisions

  

  Nearly three years after the U.S. Supreme Court's seminal decision in Groff v. DeJoy reshaped the legal framework for religious accommodations, lower court decisions and agency guidance have begun to reveal how this heightened standard operates in practice, and the pitfalls for unwary employers, says Helen Jay at Phelps Dunbar.

• Del. Dispatch: Workplace Sexual Misconduct Liability In Flux

  

  Following the Delaware Court of Chancery's recent contradictory rulings in sexual misconduct cases involving eXp World, Credit Glory and McDonald's, it's now unclear when directors' or officers' fiduciary duties may be implicated in cases of their own or others' sexual misconduct against employees, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

• Harvard NLRB Ruling Highlights NLRA, Title VII Conflicts

  

  A recent National Labor Relations Board decision, finding that Harvard University violated the National Labor Relations Act by not giving its police officer union information about a sensitive investigation into an officer's conduct, underscores the potential conflicts between employers' obligations under the NLRA and Title VII, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O’Connor.

• Flashpoints In Focus: Limiting Risk In Workplace Holidays

  

  As holidays and other observances increasingly become lightning rods of division, employers can chart an inclusive way forward by reviewing the relevant legal framework, and examining the company's policies, values and business needs, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

• Mass. Ruling Raises Questions About Whistleblower Status

  

  In Galvin v. Roxbury Community College, Massachusetts' top appellate court held that an individual was protected from retaliation as a whistleblower, even though he engaged in illegal activity, raising questions about whether whistleblowers who commit illegal acts are protected and whether trusted employees are doing their job or whistleblowing, say attorneys at Littler.

• Navigating The Void Left By Axed EEOC Harassment Guidance

  

  With the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently rescinding its 2024 enforcement guidance on harassment in the workplace, employers are left to guess how the agency may interpret an employer's obligations under Title VII and binding case law, areas that were previously clarified, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

• Takeaways From 8th Circ. Ruling On Worker's 'BLM' Display

  

  The Eighth Circuit's recent decision in Home Depot v. National Labor Relations Board, finding that Home Depot legally prohibited an employee from displaying Black Lives Matter messaging on his uniform, reaffirms employers' right to restrict politically sensitive material, but should not be read as a blank check, say attorneys at Hunton.

• Ambiguity Remains On Anti-DEI Grant Conditions

  

  Although a recent decision in City of Chicago and City of Saint Paul v. U.S. Department of Justice temporarily halts enforcement of anti-DEI conditions in federal grant applications, and echoes recent decisions in similar cases, companies remain at risk until the term “illegal DEI” is clarified, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

• What To Know As Courts Rethink McDonnell-Douglas

  

  Although the U.S. Supreme Court declined the latest opportunity to address the viability of the McDonnell-Douglas burden-shifting framework used in employment discrimination and retaliation claims, two justices and courts around the country are increasingly seeking to abandon it, which could potentially lead to more trials and higher litigation budgets, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

• Limiting Worker Surveillance Risks Amid AI Regulatory Shifts

  

  With workplace surveillance tools becoming increasingly common and a recent executive order aiming to preempt state-level artificial intelligence enforcement, companies may feel encouraged to expand AI monitoring, but the legal exposure associated with these tools remains, say attorneys at MoFo.

• What US Cos. Must Know To Comply With Italy's AI Law

  

  Italy's newly effective artificial intelligence law means U.S. companies operating in Italy or serving Italian customers must now meet EU AI Act obligations as well as Italy-specific requirements, including immediately enforceable criminal penalties, designated national authorities and sector-specific mandates, say attorneys at Portolano Cavallo.

• What To Know About DOL's New FLSA, FMLA Opinion Letters

  

  The U.S. Department of Labor kicked off 2026 by releasing several opinion letters addressing employee classification, incentive bonuses and intermittent leave, reminding employers that common practices can create significant risk if they are handled inconsistently or without careful documentation, say attorneys at Woods Rogers.