Google Settles Claims Related to Workplace Confidentiality Policy

​Google recently settled a 2016 lawsuit alleging that it used illegal practices to stop employees from complaining about the workplace. The lawsuit claimed the company’s confidentiality policies were unlawful. The Mountain View,... Read more »

Changing Practices in Response to Minnesota’s Noncompete Ban

Minnesota’s legislature passed a slew of laws in the 2022-23 session. One that continues to generate a fair amount of buzz among employers is the ban of virtually all noncompete agreements entered... Read more »

More Than $1M in Damages Upheld for Violation of Agreements

​Takeaway: Employers should not hesitate to enforce employment agreements if they have a substantial, verifiable claim against a former employee.  ​A former employee was ordered to pay $1.7 million in damages and... Read more »

Will USCIS Proposal to Redefine H-1B Qualifications Limit or Expand Eligibility?

​U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently published a comprehensive proposed rule related to the H-1B visa program for skilled workers. Experts agree that much of the proposal codifies current policies and... Read more »

Layoff with No Return Date Entitles California Employees to Immediate Vacation Pay

​Takeaway: This ruling is an example of the impact that enforcement agency interpretations of applicable laws can have when the statutes are silent or ambiguous with regard to a specific issue. Courts... Read more »

HR Implications of Biden’s AI Executive Order

​Human resource professionals searching for guidance on managing artificial intelligence should pay attention to the Biden administration’s Oct. 30 executive order that seeks to manage the risks of AI and reap its benefits.... Read more »

A Time for Change

Over the last year, diversity, equity and inclusion has lost its luster. Politicians are passing bills limiting the reach of DE&I in the workplace. Conservative-leaning consumers are boycotting companies they perceive as... Read more »

Navigating the Complexities of Religious Inclusion

​Shortly after Scott Robbins joined MiQ four years ago, he learned that the digital marketing company was holding an important regional meeting on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day.  Robbins, a regional sales... Read more »

McDonald’s Wants Supreme Court to Hear No-Poach Case

​McDonald’s is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case to determine whether franchises can enforce rules against hiring another franchisor’s employees within the same chain. The fast-food giant submitted an... Read more »

How to Attract and Retain Older Workers

​Laurel McDowell’s retirement didn’t last long. In 2019, two months after she had ended her 27-year tenure with the staffing company ManpowerGroup, the 66-year-old was back working there again.  But there were... Read more »