The Brightmine Podcast (US)

Littler employment shareholders Bruce Sarchet and Emily Patajo join XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld for an in-depth look at the many new developments affecting California employers in 2021. Some of the more notable developments include the:

• Expansion of the California Family Rights Act to apply to employers with five or more employees;
• New pay data-reporting requirements for employers with 100 or more employees;
• Emergenc...

On this podcast, Littler employment attorney Natasha DeCourcy joins XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld to discuss what happens if the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and its federal paid leave provision is allowed to expire on December 31.

DeCourcy takes employers through all the potential contingencies, including whether an expiration also means the end of an employer's ability to continue claiming tax credits. She also...

This podcast explores the various changes employers should expect after President-elect Biden takes office on January 20, as Proskauer employment attorneys Anthony Oncidi and Laura Fant join XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld. Oncidi heads the labor and employment group at Proskauer's Los Angeles office while Fant practices with the firm's New York City office.

While there would have been more developments had the Democrats take...

Long-time employment attorneys Jonathan Hyman and Robin Shea, both accomplished bloggers on workplace issues, join XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld for a wide-ranging discussion about employee social media use. Generally speaking, employers can hold an employee responsible for posts on their personal social media accounts. But there are lots of exceptions to the rule.

"Employers can't get too draconian or employees will percei...

A new school year has started, and it is presenting unprecedented challenges for working parents and employers. Many schools are physically open on a reduced schedule or 100% remote. The US Department of Labor recently tried to clear up confusion regarding an employee's eligibility for leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) when a child's school is on a hybrid or remote schedule.

On this podcast, Littler em...

In our continued look at diversity and inclusion issues, corporate culture consultant Joy Stephens joins XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld to discuss the importance of having serious conversations about racial inequality to create greater understanding among your employees. That includes raising questions with your management team.

"If black people make up 10% or 11% of the country, why don't they make up 10% or 11% of the lead...

Employers have had to adopt a host of new policies and procedures during the COVID-19 crisis and must continue weighing changes that were unthinkable just a few months ago.

This podcast features unique insights on ways to answer employee questions and prepare for future challenges from Ogletree Deakins employment attorney Kathy Dudley Helms, who heads her firm's Columbia, South Carolina office and Lin Hearne, Director of HR Operati...

The Supreme Court broke new ground with its 6-3 ruling that an employer that fires someone merely for being gay or transgender violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The Court's decision is a major victory for LGBT employees, who had lacked basic job protections in more than half of the states.

Anthony Oncidi, head of the labor and employment group for Proskauer's Los Angeles office, joins XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld...

The co-author of a Harvard Business Review article on why US businesses must take meaningful action against racism, Laura Morgan Roberts, and the co-chair of Littler's EEO and Diversity Practice Group, Cindy-Ann Thomas, join XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld for a discussion about the nationwide response to George Floyd's suffocation death at the hands of police in Minneapolis.

Roberts and Thomas discuss the importance of cando...

Employers are facing numerous dilemmas as they prepare to reopen their worksites. New York City employment attorney Jason Habinksy joins XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld to discuss how to handle these return-to-work challenges without violating employment laws. Habinsky chairs the labor and employment practice group at Haynes and Boone.

"HR professionals will be additionally busy as we return to the workplace," said Habinsky. ...

Employers are facing many challenges as they weigh what a return to work will entail, and how it can be done safely. On this podcast, Global Workplace Analytics President Kate Lister joins XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of work and what offices may look like in the years ahead.

"The genie is not going back in the bottle with telework," said Lister. "The surveys we've done sho...

On this podcast, Brower joins XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld to discuss the crisis and offer tangible ways to reduce stress. She also addresses how managers can help, including understanding mental illness under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Brower has written a book about creating work-life fulfillment and has engaged with many Fortune 500 companies during her career. Some tips include:

• Maintaining a daily routi...

Millions of US workers are able to receive federally mandated paid leave for the first time under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). But with few employers unscathed by the COVID-19 crisis, many are wondering what this emergency law means for them.

Littler employment attorney Jeff Nowak, a leading authority on leave law issues, joins XpertHR Legal Editor David Weisenfeld to break down the FFCRA. "This new law is f...

On this podcast, Laner Muchin employment attorney Peter Gillespie addresses several key issues affecting businesses in the new COVID-19 landscape, including:

• Whether relief is available to businesses that disagree with having been deemed "nonessential";
• How multistate employers should handle discrepancies regarding who are essential workers;
• Whether it is enough for an employer to give out gloves and surgical masks in an effor...

The news has been rather bleak on the employment front of late to say the least. A record 6.6 million Americans filed unemployment benefits claims last week, after nearly 3.3 million unemployment benefits claims were filed two weeks ago, up from just 200,000 one month ago. At the heart of this has been the spiraling number of business closings and temporary shutdowns taking place amid COVID-19.

On this podcast, Ford Harrison employ...

Working from home is one thing, but working from home with children in the house 24/7 or elderly relatives to care for is quite another. On this podcast, XpertHR Managing Director Scott Walker discusses those challenges, how this crisis has affected him personally and specific steps he has taken to maintain staff morale.

"We don't know when this is going to end. All of our offices are in a form of lockdown," said Walker. "You need ...

This podcast features one of the nation's leading experts on unconscious bias at work, Dr. Sondra Thiederman. Having worked with Fortune 500 companies, Thiederman noted that positive biases can be just as damaging as negative ones when it comes to damaging an organization's recruiting efforts. For instance, Thiederman said the following "positive" biases can prevent HR from seeing candidates as they really are:

• Millennials are...