Employment Law This Week Podcast

On May 30, 2025, the DOL moved to eliminate the OFCCP, shifting key enforcement duties to other agencies. At the same time, the DOL has launched a new opinion letter program, expanding access beyond the Wage and Hour Division.

Employers must navigate these changes while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws. Epstein Becker Green attorneys Kim Carter ...

This week, we cover the striking down of abortion protections for workers and LGBTQ harassment guidance, as well as the beginning of a brief EEO-1 reporting season (concluding on June 24).

Abortion Protections for Workers Struck Down

A Louisiana federal judge vacated portions of a rule implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act that def...

EO 14281 poses significant challenges for employers because it seeks to limit disparate impact liability but clashes with established state and local regulations and laws, such as New York City’s law regarding the use of automated employment decision tools. This tension underscores the increasing complexity of managing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven decision-making in the workplace amid shifting legal stan...

This week, we're covering the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL’s) decision to halt enforcement of the Biden-era independent contractor rule, the upcoming EEO-1 reporting season (starting on May 20), and New York State’s new labor law amendment, reducing damages for first-time frequency-of-pay violations.­

DOL Ha...

What’s the secret to winning a trade secret trial? Find out in this compelling episode of Spilling Secrets, where Epstein Becker Green attorneys Katherine G. Rigby, James P. Flynn, and Adam Paine break down the art of navigating these high-stakes cases.

From design...

The current administration has reached the 100-day mark, and employers have faced sweeping changes and major policy shifts—but not everything has moved at the same pace. While DEI programs and workplace AI have faced significant revisions, other areas, such as the NLRB, have been marked by board member disputes and ongoing court battles, adding layers of uncertainty.

This week’s key topics ...

This week, we’re covering the relaxation of state-level non-compete rules, the recent block of Executive Order 14173’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-related certification requirement, and a federal appeals court’s decision to pause a challenge to the Biden-era independent contractor rule.

With presidential power over independent federal agencies entering uncharted territory, SCOTUS may soon revisit its 1935 Humphrey’s Executor decision, which limits a president’s ability to fire members of independent federal agencies—such as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission—without cause. SCOTUS could choose to:

State laws are rapidly stepping in to regulate AI in the absence of federal legislation, with at least 45 states introducing AI-related bills this year. Hear from Epstein Becker Green attorney Frances M. Green as she outlines how employers can navigate this evolving landscape by developing governance policies and providing clear training and guidelines to ensure the safe, transparent, and accountable use of AI ...

This week, we highlight new guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-related discrimination. We also examine the Acting EEOC Chair’s letters to 20 law firms regarding their DEI practices, as well as the Office of Federal Contract Compliance P...

President Trump’s executive orders against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are back in effect after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit stayed a natio...

This week, we’re covering a change in leadership at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the reinstatement of National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) member Gwynne Wilcox (restoring a crucial quorum), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC’s) focus on new enforcement priorities.

New Leadership at the DOL

Lori Chav...

President Trump’s two anti-DEI executive orders are temporarily blocked, but some employers are adjusting policies and shifting the way they collect workforce data. While critical obligations, such as EEO-1 reporting, remain in place, the EEOC’s acting chair has indicated the agency will prioritize addressing race and gender discrimination and bias.

In this week’s episode, Epstein Becker Gr...

This week, we’re covering significant updates shaping workplace policies, including shifts in regulations and enforcement related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); evolving approaches to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) compliance; and recent changes in National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) guidance.

Anti-DEI Executive Orders Blocked, but...