United States: Employment and HR

Hiring household employees like nannies, caregivers, and housekeepers creates formal employer obligations that many families overlook. This guide examines the legal, tax, and compliance requirements that apply when bringing domestic workers into your home, from work authorization and payroll taxes to state-specific employment protections and insurance coverage.

State legislatures have accelerated efforts to limit restrictive covenants for healthcare professionals, creating a changing and fragmented legal landscape. To understand where we’re headed, we reviewed state legislation around the country enacted over the past two years.

Following the FTC's withdrawal of its nationwide non-compete ban, the space industry faces a complex patchwork of state laws governing these agreements. With specialized talent in short supply and proprietary knowledge at stake, companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin must navigate dramatically different enforcement standards across key aerospace hubs in Texas, California, Florida, Colorado, Alabama, Virginia, and Washington.

Employers frequently retain outside counsel to investigate workplace complaints involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or other sensitive employment issues.

AI-generated applications, deepfakes, and new background check requirements are changing how employers vet candidates. This episode explores common vetting mistakes, compliance considerations under the FCRA and EEOC guidance, and practical strategies for implementing effective background check processes that balance legal risk with business needs.

Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight's attorneys specialize in representing employees who face discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. The firm focuses on holding employers accountable for civil rights violations and advocating for workers' rights.

As the SECURE 2.0 Act deadline for mandatory catch-up contributions for some plan participants looms, many retirement plan sponsors are beginning to amend their plan documents to meet its requirements.

Employers face strategic decisions about whether to adopt Trump Account Contribution Programs (TACPs) following new DOL guidance clarifying their ERISA status. This analysis examines how TACPs compare against existing family-friendly benefits like dependent care FSAs, 529 plans, HSAs, and student loan assistance, providing a framework for total rewards committees to evaluate demographic fit, competitive positioning, and budget trade-offs.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) does not require multiemployer pension plans to use actuarial assumptions to calculate withdrawal liability adopted before a certain deadline

When an employer documents that an employee's National Guard obligations are the reason for demotion or termination, it creates overwhelming evidence of discrimination under federal law. This case reveals how the Department of Justice approaches USERRA enforcement against private employers and what triggers federal litigation. The consent decree imposed extensive compliance obligations that extended far beyond monetary damages, demonstrating the lasting consequences of explicitly linking adverse employment

Welcome to our July update, where we highlight some of the latest developments in employment law. In this edition, we consider two recent cases. We also summarise recent and forthcoming changes in employment legislation...

A Pennsylvania federal judge allowed Dana Rivkind's sex and disability discrimination claims against Oracle America Inc. to proceed, while dismissing her hostile work environment, retaliation, and emotional distress claims. The case examines whether Oracle's actions following Rivkind's whistleblowing about a Metaverse project—including medical evaluations, isolation, and eventual termination—constituted unlawful discrimination based on sex and disability.