June 24, 2025
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Category: Disability, Accommodations, and Leaves

Appeals Court: General Safety Concerns Aren’t Enough To Deny Religious Accommodation

An employer cannot deny a religious accommodation under Title VII to an employee because of a general concern about safety, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled May 30. Smith v. City of Atlantic City concerned a fire department employee who requested a religious exemption from a requirement that all firefighters be clean-shaven. The rule was intended...
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June 11, 2025
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Category: Discrimination and Harassment

Justices Reject Tougher Standard for Discrimination Claims by Majority-Group Plaintiffs

In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the use of a heightened evidence standard for majority-group plaintiffs in Title VII discrimination claims. The court ruled June 5 that the same standards apply to all plaintiffs under Title VII, regardless of their race or sex. The case, Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, was filed by a heterosexual...
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June 06, 2025
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Category: Government Contracts

Federal Court Blocks Attempt To End PLA Mandate for Large Construction Projects

A federal court has issued a preliminary injunction that effectively requires federal contracting agencies to continue to require Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) for large-scale construction projects. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia made the ruling May 16 in North America’s Building Trades Unions v. Department of Defense. In January 2024, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council implemented...
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June 03, 2025
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Category: Disability, Accommodations, and Leaves

Judge Vacates Workplace Abortion Accommodation Provisions of PWFA

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission cannot mandate accommodations to employees undergoing elective abortions, a federal judge ruled May 21. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana ordered the EEOC to remove abortion accommodation requirements from its Pregnant Workers Fairness Act rule. The judge vacated the parts of the PWFA rule that included abortion in the definition of “pregnancy, childbirth or...
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December 19, 2024
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Category: Affirmative Action and Diversity

Federal Appeals Court Vacates Nasdaq’s Board Diversity Rules

A federal appeals court has vacated the Nasdaq stock market’s rule requiring Nasdaq-listed companies to disclose diversity data for their boards of directors. In 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved Nasdaq’s proposal to require most Nasdaq-listed companies to have at least one female and one minority/LGBTQ board member or explain their lack of diversity. The rule also required covered companies to...
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December 17, 2024
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Category: Affirmative Action and Diversity

Maryland District Court Allows Naval Academy To Consider Race in Admissions

The Naval Academy’s consideration of applicants’ race in admissions decisions does not violate the Constitution’s equal protection guarantee, a federal court ruled December 6 in Students for Fair Admissions v. U.S. Naval Academy. In upholding the Naval Academy’s practice, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland distinguished this case from last year’s Supreme Court Harvard decision, which rejected...
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December 02, 2024
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Category: Executive Order

Ninth Circuit Rules Federal Contractor Minimum Wage Increase Exceeded Biden’s Authority

President Biden exceeded his authority by issuing Executive Order 14026 raising the federal contractor minimum wage to $15 per hour, a federal appeals court ruled November 5 in Nebraska v. Su. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit also held that the U.S. Department of Labor acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it published implementing regulations. The Ninth Circuit...
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November 21, 2024
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Category: DOL

DOL’s Increase to Minimum Salary Threshold for White-Collar Overtime Exemption Blocked Nationwide

A federal court has vacated a Labor Department rule that increased the minimum salary level for the “white-collar” overtime exemption. Therefore, the prior minimum salary threshold of $684 weekly is back in effect. The opinion came November 15 by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Texas v. U.S. Dep’t of Labor. The Biden Administration’s final...
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November 07, 2024
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Category: Compliance Reporting and Recordkeeping

Religious Groups Seek To Block FCC Demographic Data Collection Similar to EEO-1 Report

A group of religious broadcasters has asked a federal appeals court to block the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from collecting race and ethnicity data from broadcasters. The court’s ruling could have implications for similar data collections like the EEO-1 Report. Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to resume collecting race and ethnicity data from broadcasters, a practice...
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November 07, 2024
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Category: Agency Enforcement

FTC Fines Employer Over Allegedly Misleading Job Ads

The Federal Trade Commission has agreed to a $2.1 million settlement with a rideshare company over advertising practices that the Commission deemed “misleading or deceptive,” the FTC announced October 25. Specifically, the FTC alleged that some of the company’s advertisements to recruit drivers featured unrealistic earnings potential and others included misleading promotions language. The settlement serves as a reminder that—in addition to...
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