The Latest

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  This week in 5 numbers: Workers are checked out

  Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week of HR news — including how workers are faring with inflation and stats on how the job search is going.

  Talent

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  95% of workers say paychecks fail to keep up with cost of living spikes

  To cope, some are looking for higher paying jobs, and others are taking on second jobs or part-time work, Monster’s 2025 Work Watch Report found.

  Talent

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  DOL allows employers to self-correct 401(k) errors

  Beginning March 17, employers may remedy delays in sending participant contributions to retirement plans.

  Compliance

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  Employers face ‘skills mismatch’ between job seekers and company needs, LinkedIn finds

  HR leaders can help close the gap by leading the charge on upskilling and reskilling, LinkedIn’s head of global talent acquisition told HR Dive.

  Talent

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  SCOTUS asks: Does the ADA permit a retiree to sue for benefits discrimination?

  A retired firefighter claimed that the terms of an employer-provided health insurance subsidy discriminated against her on the basis of her disability.

  Compliance

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  Trump names former EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling deputy labor secretary

  If both are confirmed, Sonderling would work alongside former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trump’s pick for secretary of labor.

  Compliance

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  ‘Inappropriate’ micromanaging: Apple pushes back on anti-DEI proposal

  In a proxy filing ahead of the annual 2025 shareholders meeting, a conservative think tank asked Apple to cut back on DEI.

  Talent

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  US job seekers report mixed views about 2025 labor market

  One of the top barriers to employment includes a lack of hard skills, soft skills and communication skills, job seekers say.

  Talent

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  Leading meat processor will pay $4M to counter illegal child labor practices

  A DOL official praised the remedial steps JBS proposed as “creative and forward-thinking.”

  Compliance

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  Fewer than 1 in 5 US companies have a pay transparency strategy

  “The data highlights a disconnect between the importance employers say they place on advancing these strategies, and how much progress has been made,” Mercer’s global rewards solution leader said.

  Compliance

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  Mastercard agrees to pay $26M to settle discrimination lawsuit

  The card network entered into the agreement to settle a proposed class action that alleged it discriminated against Black, Hispanic and female employees by underpaying them.

  Compliance

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  Amazon to focus on inclusion, internal memo indicates

  The changes outlined in the memo are vague, but Amazon has taken its previously strong commitments to Black and LGBTQ+ people off of its policy page.

  Talent

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  US employee engagement falls to 10-year low

  Less than a third of managers and employees alike are engaged at work, Gallup says.

  Talent

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  What is getting in the way of AI training? Speed, one survey says.

  Notably, the way workers engage with learning may also contribute to continued challenges in delivering L&D.

  Learning

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  Meta joins chorus of DEI rollbacks, cutting roles and programs

  The tech and social media giant ended a number of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives last week, including its supplier diversity program.

  Diversity & Inclusion

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  Court finds seafood company not on the hook for overtime in COVID lockdown case

  The case highlights the complexities involved with determining compensability under the Fair Labor Standards Act, particularly when workers are kept on campus.

  Compliance

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  Attorneys: DOL is increasingly adding wage-and-hour inquiries to FMLA investigations

  Items included requests for gross earnings data and information on break time and paid leave policies, among others, according to a list shared by Littler Mendelson’s Jeff Nowak.

  Compliance

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  Defense Department’s sound interview process saves it from sex bias claim, 7th Circuit says

  In its interview process for a new benefits and workers’ compensation team’s supervisor position, the agency “chose the intangibles, and we will not second-guess its decision,” the judges said.

  Compliance

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  In a historic move, SEIU rejoins AFL-CIO

  Both organizations’ presidents gave remarks at a civil rights conference named for Martin Luther King Jr., in the weeks before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

  Talent

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  RTO has mixed results for employee morale, survey shows

  Many organizations aren’t sure about the effects that RTO policies have had on recruitment and retention, Pearl Meyer says.

  Talent

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  DOL’s independent contractor rule evades trucking company’s injunction bid

  A federal judge held that the agency acted within its statutory authority in issuing the rule, delivering a regulatory victory to the Biden administration in its final weeks.

  Compliance

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  Work permits help prevent child labor violations, think tank finds

  Opponents of youth work permit requirements have generally characterized the process as onerous and unnecessary.

  Compliance

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  Hyatt to pay $2.25M to settle ‘Housekeepers’ Bill of Rights’ lawsuit

  The suit, filed by workers at Hyatt Regency Long Beach, was the first of its kind under one of several city-level regulations intended to improve working conditions for hotel housekeepers.

  Compliance

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  BLS jobs report

  Will 2025 bring a ‘soft landing’ for the job market?

  A strong jobs report in December could signal tailwinds — or a seasonal one-off.

  Talent

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  Despite AI growth, most HR leaders aren’t focused on reskilling workers

  At the same time, HR pros are experimenting with AI pilot programs and use cases for human capital management, The Conference Board says.

  Talent

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