To help with your writing efforts, here’s what people are looking for in Employment Law online. Trending topics culled from JD Supra, search analytics, social media conversations, and other sources:
Consider writing about:
A July ruling in a tax dispute stemming from work done remotely from home during pandemic-related lockdowns; what to know about New York’s convenience of the employer rule; what this ruling demonstrates regarding the intricacies of state tax laws and personal obligations, especially as they pertain to remote or hybrid work arrangements that cross state lines.
Related information:
https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/current/3dseries/2026/2026_04251.shtml
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The emergence of faith-based objections to artificial intelligence in the workplace; what employers should know about the possibility of employee requests for religious accommodation or exemptions involving AI-related work duties; potential basis, or precedent, for these types of requests; practical guidance on how employers can possibly get ahead of this issue; reminders regarding best practices for employers fielding any type of religious accommodation requests.
Related information:
https://www.businessinsider.com/worker-got-religious-exemption-using-ai-at-work-2026-6?
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The introduction of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives this week to expand workplace protections for workers experiencing menopause; rationale for this measure; what this legislation specifically aims to accomplish; prospects for the bill’s passage; how state legislatures or courts are treating the issue of menopause, worker rights, and accommodation requests.
Related information:
https://debbiedingell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7106
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The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 29 ruling in Trump v. Slaughter; what the ruling could mean for the powers, independence, and future of regulatory agencies; what to know about unitary executive theory; what the Slaughter ruling could mean for the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in particular.
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A controversy that developed over the San Francisco Giants’ annual Pride Night celebration; initial repercussions for several baseball players who wrote biblical verses on their rainbow-themed ball caps; how the U.S. Department of Justice has responded to Major League Baseball’s handling of the issue; possible next chapter in this dispute; and, more broadly speaking, how employers in general can navigate a complicated terrain involving diversity, public messaging, religious beliefs, freedom of speech and potential misconceptions or missteps by either their employees or by the employers themselves.
Related information:
https://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/doj-sf-giants-pride-22312542.php
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A $3 million settlement that Amazon has reached with Pennsylvania workers who sued over alleged lack of compensation for time spent taking mandatory COVID screening tests prior to their shifts; what to know about applicable wage laws; what this case may demonstrate regarding compensation rights and obligations pertaining to required pre- or post-shift activities; additional guidance for employers on the do’s and don’ts of mandatory or optional health screenings and potential pitfalls associated with those workplace procedures.
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The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s recently released National Enforcement Plan; what the plan indicates regarding the EEOC’s role, priorities, overall orientation, guiding philosophy, and likely enforcement targets; how the plan compares to EEOC Strategic Enforcement Plans; any noteworthy omissions from the National Enforcement Plan; how employers should be responding to the EEOC’s National Enforcement Plan.
Related information:
https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-releases-new-national-enforcement-plan
https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2026-06/NEP_-_signed.pdf
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Non-disclosure agreements, a perennial topic that attracted a new burst of attention recently, due to the second Trump administration’s desire to have federal employees sign NDAs. What are the legal rights, common misunderstandings, or potential pitfalls involving NDAs, whether for public or private employers and their workforce? What are some key employer do’s and don’ts regarding NDAs? What do employers tend to overlook when crafting NDA policies? And how is the use of AI tools in the workplace adding a new layer of complexity to NDA protocols and associated risks?
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Employee reinstatements and/or hefty settlements (amounting to six-figure dollar amounts in at least some cases) that have occurred in the wake of people being fired by various employers over comments made in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing; what these cases may illustrate regarding First Amendment rights, protected speech, issues involving off-duty conduct, the intricacies of disciplinary and termination decisions, and the potential for employer missteps or liability; how employers can be better prepared the next time a political controversy finds its way into their workforce.
Related information:
https://www.axios.com/2026/05/28/charlie-kirk-settlement-payouts-2-million
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An executive order recently issued by California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressing job losses and additional workforce disruptions caused by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies; what the Executive Order aims to accomplish; relevant timelines; how much of an advance the executive order represents in compared to other actions by California decisionmakers regarding AI; where the executive order may fall short; how other states’ governors are approaching the issue of AI-fueled job losses, displacement, or related needs for worker retraining and/or reassignment.
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The recent certification of a labor union for Massachusetts ride-share drivers; significance of this development, whether for the drivers themselves, ride-share companies, passengers, or the gig economy as a whole; how labor organizing efforts in Massachusetts compare to efforts on behalf of ride-share drivers elsewhere; how fears of being displaced by automation may have fueled the organizing drive in Massachusetts, and what that may portend for workers’ rights and company actions in other industries.
Related information:
https://apnews.com/article/union-ridehail-uber-lyft-311664558946981432c091f0106003ca
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Disputes over disability accommodations in the workplace; why lawsuits over this issue have been increasing; how employers can best anticipate or respond to employees’ disability accommodation claims; additional guidance for employers or other practical takeaways from the outcomes of noteworthy lawsuits on this front.
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The EU Pay Transparency Directive; what to know about the directive’s main goals, effective date, and to whom it applies; what the directive means for employee rights, and employer restrictions or obligations; how employers can best prepare for the directive and related compliance matters.
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A lawsuit filed against The New York Times by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on May 5; stated grounds for the lawsuit; what this case signals about the EEOC’s enforcement priorities and potential liability risks for employers; how this case compares to other Trump administration actions targeting perceived corporate DEI initiatives or policies; additional practical takeaways for employers who may feel as though they are walking a legal tightrope under the second Trump administration.
Related information:
https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-sues-new-york-times-dei-related-race-and-sex-discrimination
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A Chinese court’s recent ruling in favor of a tech worker who was reassigned to a lower-level job with lesser pay, and ultimately terminated, after AI essentially took over his role; precedent for this type of ruling, whether specifically to China or globally; practical guidance for employers on carrying out personnel reassignments, layoffs, or downsizing in the AI age.
Related information:
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/01/nx-s1-5807131/tech-worker-china-ai
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The latest performance plan from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, released by the EEOC on April 3; what stands out to you about the EEOC’s latest actions and top priorities, as described in the report; how these compare to those from prior years or administrations; what the EEOC report may indicate regarding logical compliance priorities or potential risk areas for employers.
Related information:
https://www.eeoc.gov/fy-2027-agency-performance-plan-app-and-fy-2025-agency-performance-report-apr
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Significant developments involving paid or unpaid employee leave; whether employee leave rights are contracting or expanding; any noteworthy trends in how these rights are evolving in terms of certain scenarios, employee groups, or other details; how much employee leave laws differ from one jurisdiction to another; practical guidance on complying with these laws; additional guidance for employers who are bound by laws in more than one jurisdiction; any instructive verdicts or other legal outcomes that may help illustrate the do’s and don’ts of workplace leave policies.
Consider writing about:
The Internal Revenue Service’s April 20 release of updated FAQs regarding educational assistance programs; how these types of programs operate; what the IRS Fact Sheet clarifies regarding program criteria, assistance rules, and other key points in the wake of changes made by the budget reconciliation measure often referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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An April 10 announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding a $17 million False Claims Act settlement with IBM over the company’s DEI practices; type of practices at issue; how this case falls under the FCA; what stands out to you about this case, in addition to the dollar size of the settlement and the fact that it marks a first; practical takeaways for other companies as regards their own employment practices and potential liability risks.
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Workplace security checks; noteworthy lawsuits, verdicts, or settlements over pay owed to employees for their time spent on security screenings; related employer obligations under state or federal law; how these obligations may differ according to jurisdiction; additional factors that can determine employees’ eligibility for compensation; do’s and don’ts for employers when communicating and enforcing security protocols and related wage policies.
Related information:
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/fedex-settlement-lawsuit-connecticut-wage-act-21987768.php
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President Trump’s latest nominations to the National Labor Relations Board; what to know about the current and projected makeup of the Board, how the Board has been performing since regaining a quorum, and what issues are likely to be top of mind for the NLRB as we enter the second quarter of the year.
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A March 26 Executive Order that targets “DEI discrimination” on the part of federal contractors and subcontractors; how the Executive Order defines or describes such discrimination; how the Executive Order compares to prior Trump administration actions regarding supposed DEI-related discrimination; key compliance steps and deadlines that contractors may need to know as they relate to the March 26 Executive Order; additional actions that contractors may wish to take regarding their existing employment practices and policies in light of this Executive Order; potential repercussions for non-compliance.
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The evolving landscape of noncompete agreements; how federal or state decisionmakers and regulators are addressing employers’ use of noncompete agreements; how restrictions on these sorts of agreements may be multiplying or otherwise evolving; noteworthy settlements or other legal actions involving noncompetes; practical strategies for employers, especially for employers who operate in more than one state or have employees who are located in multiple states.
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A proposed rule published by the U.S. Department of Labor on March 27 regarding wages paid to foreign workers; key worker groups or classifications to whom the proposed rule would apply; the DOL’s rationale for the rule; what the rule could mean for wage levels and for hiring and compensation practices and patterns; industries that would be most apt to feel the greatest impact from the rule, if it is implemented.
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A memorandum released by the National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel on Feb. 27; main focus of this updated guidance, and the guidance’s overall significance; practical implications for employers regarding the likely nature and shape of future NLRB investigations; additional takeaways regarding the current NLRB’s evolving priorities and potential direction.
Related information:
https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/nlrb-general-counsel-issues-case-handling-guidance
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A $100 million settlement that Walmart has agreed to pay to resolve allegations that the retailer misled delivery drivers about their compensation; what to know about the company’s alleged practices and the impact on its network of drivers; system changes that Walmart may be obligated to make under the proposed settlement terms; what this case may illustrate regarding enforcement trends by the Federal Trade Commission and state-level authorities.
Related information:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walmart-100-million-settlement-spark-delivery-drivers-ftc
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/WalmartSparkDriverComplaint.pdf
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A Feb. 25 announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division regarding a settlement over a company’s posting of AI-generated job listings; citizenship status criteria that ran afoul of federal law, according to the DOJ; related enforcement trends involving alleged discrimination against U.S. workers; what the DOJ’s settlement agreement with Elegant Enterprise-Wide Solutions may indicate regarding potential hiring and recruiting pitfalls (especially in the current political climate) and specifically regarding the use of AI tools in an attempt to facilitate the hiring process.
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A proposed rule announced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Feb. 20; what the proposed rule could mean for asylum seekers, the work authorization process, work permits, hiring, retention, and staffing, and other workforce- and immigration-related matters; how dramatic a change this proposed rule could turn out to be for the immigration system, employer operations, and the economy; potential for legal challenges to the DHS proposed rule.
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Trends involving allegations of national origin bias; whether employers in the Trump 2.0 era are facing an increase in litigation or enforcement actions alleging bias in favor of foreign workers over American citizens; any significant jury verdicts, rulings, lawsuits, or other related actions to know about; how employers should be managing their hiring, promotions, and other workplace practices with an eye to heading off potential claims of national origin bias.
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Recent, separate moves by the National Labor Relations Board and the U.S. Department of Labor involving joint employers and independent contractors; what these new developments may mean for enforcement actions, employers’ potential liability, the employer-employee relationship, and workers’ status, rights, and protections.
Related information: