The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business.
Archives for December 3, 2023
Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Program: December 2023 End-of-Year Update
The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) recently provided several significant updates related to the Commonwealth’s paid family and medical leave (PFML) program as 2023 comes to a close. Most recently, the DFML issued its updated 2024 notices, posters, and rate sheets. In the past month, it also
DEI Under Scrutiny, Part II: Spotlight on Environmental, Social, and Governance Considerations
This article is the second part of Ogletree Deakins’ series, “DEI Under Scrutiny,” which examines the evolving employment law landscape for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the United States. Part one of the series addressed employer considerations for conducting privileged risk assessments of DEI programs. This article focuses
DEI Under Scrutiny, Part I: Increased Challenges to DEI Programming Give Employers a Reason to Perform Risk Assessments
This article is the first part of Ogletree Deakins’ series, “DEI Under Scrutiny,” which examines the evolving employment law landscape for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the United States.
Dear Littler: Do I really need to reimburse my remote employee’s phone bill, internet, and home office equipment?
Dear Littler,
We are a small company based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that allowed some of our employees to work remotely during the pandemic. When we recently announced our plans to call employees back to home base in Milwaukee, we received feedback that some employees did not plan to come
401(k) balances down, hardship withdrawals are up. But it’s not all dire.
Fresh numbers from Fidelity have good and not-so-good news about Americans’ retirement savings
In and Out of the Courtroom, O’Connor Inspired a Generation of Women
The Supreme Court justice, who died at 93 on Friday, made a series of influential rulings and inspired women across a range of fields as she cemented her legacy.
Tired of Low Wages and Workplace Violence, Waffle House Workers Are Organizing
“We’re sick and tired of making poverty wages, the constant threat of in-store violence, and mandatory meal deductions.”
Three Steps To Building More Influence In The Workplace
Influence without authority is a common challenge for many professionals. This can be even more difficult for women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) professionals.
Are workplace romances a savvy investment?
Mistletoe encounters at the staff party are rarely encouraged — but they might pay off
Remove 1 word from your workplace vocabulary, says bestselling author Simon Sinek: ‘We’re all guilty of this’
Chances are good that you’ve used the word “underperformer” at work before.
Women surge to record highs in the workforce, study finds
The employment rate for women has been growing faster than men,rising to its highest point in U.S. history in 2023, according to a study released this week from Penn Wharton Budget Model at the University of Pennsylvania.
Pension-eligible workers face complex Social Security rules that may reduce benefits. How to more accurately estimate retirement income
Workers who earn both pensions and Social Security may have their benefits reduced based on current rules.
Scoop: Inside the Biden White House’s aggressive back-to-office push
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, facing huge numbers of federal workers who aren’t coming to the office, is privately pushing Cabinet secretaries to break their staffs’ stubborn work-from-home habits.
Supreme Court Decision in Groff v. DeJoy Increases Burden on Employers Under Title VII for Denying Religious Accommodations
Employers will now have to show a higher degree of hardship to deny employee requests for religious accommodation.