If retaliation claims could be proven just by pointing to an employer’s handbook, summary judgment would be extinct. This court made clear that policies don’t replace proof. TL;DR: An employee argued that retaliation could be inferred because the employer’s harassment policy required managers to report complaints “up the ladder,” so
Monthly Archives: January 2026
AI, Middle Managers, and the New HR Mandate with Brian Kropp
Rethinking Productivity When Everyone Feels Overworked
Why Perfectionism Is Slowing Your Team Down (And What to Do Instead)
DE Talk | 2026 Expert Compliance Insights: New Rules, Changed Government Enforcement & How Employers Can Respond
Season 7 • Episode 6 Federal contractor compliance underwent seismic changes in 2025: Executive Order 11246 was revoked, EEOC and
Maine Workers Get Start Date for Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits
Sometimes the case ends because the plaintiff says the quiet part out loud
Most employment cases fall apart because the evidence is thin or the comparators don’t line up. This one fell apart because of what the employee herself admitted – under oath. TL;DR: A Sixth Circuit panel affirmed summary judgment for an urgent care clinic after a front-desk employee was terminated
Ep149: Q&A – Managing Emotional Responses
Integrating Artificial Intelligence in 2026: 3 Talent Strategies for Getting it Right
Discover insights into artificial intelligence and its significance in talent strategies as highlighted in the UKG Megatrends Report. The post Integrating Artificial Intelligence in 2026: 3 Talent Strategies for Getting it Right appeared first on hr bartender.
Compensation, Raises & Pay Transparency: Start the Year With Fairness
A Chick-fil-a Job Title Looked Great on LinkedIn. Then the Internet Read $21 Per Hour Pay Rate
Apprenticeship Program Develops AI Agents Designed for Government Use
The EEOC Pulled Its Harassment Guidance. Now What?
The EEOC just pulled the plug on its most comprehensive harassment guidance. Some federal guardrails are gone, but the law is not – and neither are employers’ obligations. TL;DR: The EEOC has rescinded its 2024 Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace. The statutes prohibiting harassment did not change, but
When Employers Decide Accommodation Is Impossible and Everything After That Gets Risky
Deciding too early that accommodation is impossible can shape everything that follows. This case shows why courts often let juries sort it out. In a recent ADA decision from the Northern District of Illinois, an employer decided an injured employee could not return as a bus operator under her medical











