United States

Today · Monday 26 October

• 15:37
  United States·Research

  US seasonal job postings up about 10% YoY in 2026 as e-commerce demand rises

  According to Indeed Hiring Lab, seasonal job postings in the US were up about 10% year over year as of September 30, 2026, seen as an early sign of labor market optimism. Retail's share of seasonal postings fell to 61% from roughly two-thirds in 2019, while warehouse roles rose from 3.5% to 9%. Amazon announced plans to hire 300,000 workers this holiday season.

  via HR Brew
• 14:51
  United States·Policy & Law

  Colorado business groups urge delay on AI hiring disclosure rules

  Colorado business groups are asking Attorney General Phil Weiser to delay enforcement of the state's AI decision-making tools law and to tighten definitions of 'data sources,' a tool's 'material influence,' and 'meaningful human review' before finalizing rules. The AG's office is finalizing disclosure and appeal-rights requirements for AI use in job, credit, or housing decisions, having heard public testimony on the latest draft this week.

  via Bloomberg Law News
• 14:48
  United States·Research

  Report: Rising costs and repetitive tasks push HR to rethink its role

  According to a new report, AI is now part of daily operations for most benefits leaders, yet 47% still spend four or more hours daily on routine tasks. isolved's Amy Mosher says employers can rethink benefits and use AI to free up HR teams for strategic work, warning that cutting benefit options to manage rising costs risks damaging recruitment and retention.

  via Employee Benefit News
• 14:39
  United States·Policy & Law

  San Francisco mayor signs ordinance revising health care spending rules for airport employers

  On October 16, 2026, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed Ordinance No. 213-26, amending the city's Healthy Airport Ordinance to revise health care spending requirements for certain airport employers.

  via JD Supra
• 14:01
  United States·Policy & Law

  White House clears proposed PERM green card overhaul to boost protections for US workers

  The White House has cleared a proposed overhaul of the PERM employment-based green card program, weeks after PERM suspensions hit major companies including Microsoft. The Labor Department says current rules date to 2004 and rely on outdated newspaper ads. Reforms would focus on recruiting Americans, protecting laid-off workers, non-discriminatory hiring and employer recordkeeping, and will go out for public comment.

  via M9.news
• 13:50
  United States·Policy & Law

  US completes federal review, moves to tighten PERM green card sponsorship rules

  The US government is moving to revise employment-based green card sponsorship requirements after completing a federal review of proposed changes to the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program. Separately, the Netherlands will introduce new rules for employers sponsoring foreign workers starting Nov. 1.

  via Nairametrics
• 13:42
  United States·Policy & Law

  AI notetaker transcripts emerge as key evidence in employment discrimination lawsuit

  A recent employment discrimination lawsuit highlighted how AI notetaker transcripts from video meetings can become key evidence for plaintiffs' attorneys. Law firm Fisher Phillips outlined lessons for employers on managing legal risks tied to AI meeting-recording tools.

  via JD Supra
• 13:33
  United States·Policy & Law

  New wave of restrictive covenant litigation focuses on function over form

  Law firm Proskauer notes a new trend in restrictive covenant litigation: clauses not labeled as noncompetes, such as certain confidentiality provisions, can still be treated by courts as restrictive covenants if they function to limit employee mobility or competition.

  via JD Supra
• 13:32
  United States·Policy & Law

  ERISA requires employers to use employee share of insurer rebates by Dec. 30

  Under ERISA, employers that received a medical loss ratio (MLR) rebate from insurers must distribute or apply the employee share within roughly three months of receipt; those receiving rebates on September 30 face a deadline around December 30. A KFF analysis estimates insurers issued about $759 million in MLR rebates in 2026, down from $1.6 billion in 2025 and $958 million in 2024.

  via Human Resources Director
• 13:31
  United States·Policy & Law

  Michigan unemployment system closes Nov. 2, employers must activate new accounts first

  Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency will permanently shut down its legacy MiWAM system at 4:30 p.m. on November 2, with the replacement MiUI system's benefits functions going live on November 9; both systems will be unavailable in between. Employers must retrieve an eight-digit activation code from MiWAM before the deadline to set up a MiUI account, a step third-party administrators cannot complete for them. About 23,165 Michigan employers, roughly 10 percent, had not yet done so.

  via Human Resources Director
• 13:30
  United States·Policy & Law

  US gag clause attestation due Dec. 31, outsourcing doesn't shift employer liability

  Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA-21), group health plans must file an annual Gag Clause Prohibition Compliance Attestation (GCPCA) with CMS by December 31, applying to fully insured and self-insured plans of any size except those offering only excepted benefits. The article notes that even when self-insured sponsors delegate filing to a third-party administrator, legal liability remains with the employer.

  via Human Resources Director
• 13:30
  United States·Policy & Law

  Macy's drops ERISA suit but voluntary benefits broker commission risk remains

  A proposed class action, Munson v. Macy's Inc., filed October 3, 2026 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice shortly after filing. It alleged that of $36.1 million in supplemental insurance premiums paid by Macy's employees from 2019-2024, about $13.2 million (36.7%) went to broker commissions and fees, potentially breaching ERISA fiduciary duty. These remain unproven allegations, but the underlying legal theory is spreading to other employers.

  via Human Resources Director
• 12:55
  United States·Policy & Law

  28 US states and DC require employers to give workers paid time off to vote

  Election Day (Nov. 3) is not a federal holiday, and no federal law requires private employers to give workers time off to vote, per employment law firms Jackson Lewis and Ogletree Deakins. Whether paid voting leave is required depends on state law; 28 states plus Washington, D.C. mandate voting leave, with 21 of them requiring paid leave or barring wage deductions, some with conditions.

  via Money Talks News
• 12:23
  United States·News

  Brigham and Women's nurses reject contract proposal after postponing strike

  Nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital, who had previously postponed a strike, rejected a new contract proposal from the hospital. The report did not specify whether a strike would be rescheduled.

  via Fierce Healthcare
• 12:22
  United States·Research

  NFP executive: Employee use of mental health benefits rises as employer investment falls 7% in 2025

  According to NFP's latest trend report, cited by SVP Deb Smolensky, employee use of mental health benefits is rising even as employer investment in such benefits fell approximately 7% in 2025. Smolensky says the real gap is accessibility: employees often cannot quickly locate or use Employee Assistance Programs already offered to them.

  via Human Resources Director
• 11:38
  United States·Policy & Law

  Washington state minimum wage rises to $17.73 per hour starting Jan. 1, 2027

  Starting Jan. 1, 2027, Washington state's minimum wage will rise to $17.73 per hour, up 60 cents from 2026, with an adjusted rate for 14- and 15-year-old workers. The update also covers changes to exempt employee salary thresholds and noncompete rules.

  via JD Supra
• 11:36
  United States·Research

  M3 Insurance data shows captive health plans outperforming traditional models by about 7 points

  According to internal data from M3 Insurance, cited by Director of Captives Jason Nordby, employer groups in captive benefit plans are outperforming fully insured and self-funded counterparts by approximately 7 percentage points. For a 100-person organization with $1 million in annual health spend, the compounding savings are significant and the gap is widening as the market corrects.

  via Human Resources Director
• 11:32
  United States·Policy & Law

  White woman called 'Karen' fails to show race bias, judge rules

  A White former high school psychologist alleged race and disability discrimination, including a co-worker calling her 'Karen,' a term she said was derogatory toward White women, as part of a broader pattern at Freeport High School. A federal judge ruled on Oct. 20, 2026, in favor of the school, finding such isolated remarks do not establish unlawful discrimination.

  via HR Dive
• 11:22
  United States·Policy & Law

  CCIA report says ending H-1B 60-day grace period fails cost-benefit test

  The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) released an analysis finding that DHS's proposal to eliminate the discretionary 60-day grace period for H-1B workers would cost $121 million to $762 million more per year than it saves, with a central estimate of $263 million annually and roughly $1.8 billion in ten-year net present cost. The rule was published in the Federal Register on September 11, 2026.

  via CCIA
• 10:47
  United States·Policy & Law

  New York court enforces FLSA settlement, orders $25,000 payment

  A New York federal district court granted a motion to enforce an FLSA settlement agreement, finding Islandwide Seamless Gutter & Leader Systems, Inc. breached the deal by failing to pay a former employee $25,000. The court awarded post-judgment interest and attorneys' fees but denied a statutory penalty increase under New York law. Lopez v. Islandwide Seamless Gutter & Leader Sys., Oct. 21, 2026.

  via Bloomberg Law News
• 10:35
  United States·News

  Fender says WARN notice before Corona factory closure is normal procedure, affects 533 workers

  Fender issued a WARN notice to 533 employees ahead of a temporary closure of its Corona, California factory during year-end holiday inventory quiet weeks. The company said this is normal operating procedure, not layoffs—the first time Fender has used a WARN notice for a temporary factory closure. US law requires a WARN notice when more than 500 workers at one site are affected.

  via Guitar.com
• 10:33
  United States·Policy & Law

  United Airlines wins summary judgment in age, disability bias case

  A Texas federal district court granted summary judgment to United Airlines on ADEA and ADA discrimination and retaliation claims brought by an age-protected flight attendant with physical injuries. The court found she could not show pretext because evidence contradicting a binding System Board of Adjustment ruling—which found the airline complied with the CBA in terminating her—was precluded. Finger v. United Airlines, Oct. 23, 2026.

  via Bloomberg Law News
• 10:24
  United States·Research

  US job board visits hit record 661.2 million in September, up 10% YoY

  Visits to the top 100 US job boards rose 10% YoY to a record 661.2 million in September 2026, per Similarweb, up nearly 60 million from a year earlier. August hit an annual record of 685.1 million visits, with October tracking a 10.5% gain. Indeed drew over 166 million visits; LinkedIn visits rose 9% YoY with 30% more submissions per applicant versus pre-pandemic levels, while Greenhouse reported 20% more applications and 270 applicants per posting on average.

  via Job Board Consulting
• 10:20
  United States·Policy & Law

  Kroger denied summary judgment in Title VII sexual harassment case

  A Mississippi federal district court denied Kroger Limited Partnership I's motion for summary judgment on a female retail clerk's Title VII hostile work environment claim. The court found genuine factual disputes over whether a co-worker's escalating verbal and physical sexual harassment was severe or pervasive and whether the employer responded promptly. Boone v. Kroger Ltd. P'ship I, Oct. 21, 2026.

  via Bloomberg Law News
• 10:00
  United States·News

  Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, Tulsa Innovation Labs hold workforce workshop for 1,000+ jobs

  Oklahoma Primary Aluminum and Tulsa Innovation Labs hosted a three-day workforce development workshop at Tulsa Tech, bringing together education, career-tech and community leaders to map talent pipelines and form a local steering committee. The proposed aluminum facility is expected to create over 1,000 high-paying jobs.

  via PR Newswire
• 09:26
  United States·Policy & Law

  US employers urged to review how long they retain workforce data

  The article notes that former employees' data can linger in email archives, collaboration tools, badge logs, fleet telematics, and vendor systems. US federal rules set minimums: EEOC requires personnel records kept at least one year (longer if a discrimination charge is filed), and FLSA requires payroll records kept at least three years. It cites the FTC's January 2026 order against General Motors and the CPPA's September 2025 action against Tractor Supply as enforcement examples involving data retention.

• 09:24
  United States·News

  Fender denies layoffs after WARN notice, says staff return in new year

  Guitar maker Fender responded to online layoff rumors, saying the WARN notice is not associated with layoffs and that employees will return to work in the new year. The notice relates to a temporary shutdown at its Corona, California factory during holiday inventory quiet weeks.

  via Guitar World
• 09:00
  United States·Research

  ZipRecruiter survey finds 53% of US workers say AI made work more enjoyable

  ZipRecruiter released its 2026 AI Worker Report, based on a survey of 1,500 employed U.S. workers. While 42% worry AI will make their job or skills obsolete, 53% say AI has made their work more enjoyable, compared with just 6% who disagree.

• 08:58
  United States·Research

  Study finds only 1 in 4 CHROs equipped for AI-era 'enterprise CHRO' role

  A new study by executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles finds CEOs now seek nearly twice as many skills in CHRO candidates as a decade ago, yet only one in four CHROs operate as a true 'enterprise CHRO' spanning AI, automation, CEO advising, ethics, succession and workforce planning. Fewer than 5% of sitting CHROs have strategy, product or engineering backgrounds. AI-native firms like OpenAI and Anthropic have appointed chief people officers from non-traditional HR backgrounds.

  via Fortune
• 08:41
  United States·Policy & Law

  Trump administration moves to end H-1B extension protections, finalizes work permit renewal restrictions

  The Trump administration, through DHS and USCIS, is proposing to eliminate a rule requiring officers to generally defer to prior approvals when reviewing extension petitions for employment-based visas including H-1B and L-1, and has finalized a separate rule ending automatic work permit extensions for certain foreign nationals including H-1B spouses. Both measures were made available for public inspection Tuesday and are set for Federal Register publication Wednesday, with significant expected impact on Indian nationals who make up the majority of H-1B holders and H-4 work-authorized spouses.

  via INDIA New England News