On March 19, 2025, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released joint “technical assistance documents” (a one-page document titled “What To Do if You Experience...more
4/1/2025
/ Chevron Deference ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Discrimination ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
New Guidance ,
Reverse Discrimination ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration
On February 21, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued a preliminary injunction in favor of Plaintiffs National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of...more
On February 3, 2025, the city of Baltimore and three organizations filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland opposing the recent Trump administration executive orders (EO) focused on eliminating...more
2/7/2025
/ Constitutional Challenges ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Due Process ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Executive Orders ,
First Amendment ,
Government Agencies ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Separation of Powers ,
Trump Administration
As part of its promise to target diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and practices in workplaces, educational settings, and elsewhere, the new administration issued a January 21, 2025, Executive Order entitled...more
1/31/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration
Today, the new administration issued an Executive Order (EO) related to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). The action rescinded Executive Order 11246, upending the...more
1/23/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Subcontractors ,
Trump Administration ,
Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA)
At the same time, the new administration’s anti-DEI posturing has not been clearly mirrored by the courts, with courts handing employers legal victories over their DEI policies and practices in several recent high-profile...more
1/20/2025
/ Civil Rights Act ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Bans ,
Federal Contractors ,
New Legislation ,
Title VII
On January 1, 2025, the Illinois Minimum Wage will rise to $15 per hour for individuals who are 18 years and older.
New employees in the first 90 days of employment over the age of 18 may be paid up to 50 cents less per...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit released its much-anticipated follow-up decision in American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund Management, LLC, on June 3, 2024. The case has been closely watched by...more
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) released updated guidance for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by federal contractors on April 29, 2024—the latest indication that federal contractors’ use and...more
5/20/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automated Decision Systems (ADS) ,
Biden Administration ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Guidance ,
OFCCP ,
Privacy Laws ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements
On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 3-2 to ban the use of nearly all noncompete agreements in America’s for-profit businesses (with only a few narrow exceptions). The party-line vote comes after...more
4/25/2024
/ Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Exemptions ,
Federal Bans ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
FTC Act ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Proposed Rules ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Unfair Competition
On April 17, 2024, in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, the Supreme Court of the United States held that an employer may violate Title VII’s anti-discrimination provisions when it transfers an employee even if the transfer did...more
4/24/2024
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Discrimination ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Transfers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Muldrow v City of St Louis ,
SCOTUS ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Title VII
Following Chicago’s last-minute changes to its much-discussed Paid Leave Ordinance, Cook County has joined the recent flurry of legislating in Illinois to amend its own leave requirements. On December 14, 2023, the Cook...more
In welcome news for employers, the Chicago City Council passed an amendment (the Amendment) to the new Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance (the Ordinance), which will delay implementation of paid leave...more
12/15/2023
/ Collective Bargaining ,
Earned Sick and Safe Time Act ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Private Right of Action ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
The city of Chicago approved the Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance (the ordinance) on November 9, 2023, providing all employees working in the city with up to five annual days of paid leave that can be...more
Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law HB 3129, an amendment to the Illinois Equal Pay Act that changes how employers can advertise for position openings in Illinois, on August 11, 2023. The amendment goes into effect January...more
9/15/2023
/ Arrangement and Promotion ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Governor Pritzker ,
Illinois ,
Job Ads ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Transparency ,
Penalties ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Remote Working ,
State Labor Laws ,
Third-Party ,
Wage and Hour
Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law HB 2862 (Amendment) on August 4, 2023, which amends the Illinois Day and Labor Services Act (Act) by adding new equal pay obligations and safety and training requirements for employers...more
8/15/2023
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Governor Pritzker ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Illinois ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Amendments ,
New Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
Temporary Employees ,
Workplace Safety
On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in two cases challenging universities’ consideration of race as a factor in student admissions: Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of...more
7/6/2023
/ Affirmative Action ,
Civil Rights Act ,
College Admissions ,
Colleges ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Protection ,
Federal Contractors ,
Race Discrimination ,
SCOTUS ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College ,
Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina ,
Title VII ,
Universities
As previously outlined in our Illinois employment law roundup, the deadline is fast approaching for completion of Chicago’s additional sexual harassment and bystander training requirements. The new law requires employers to...more
The city of Chicago published an amended ban-the-box ordinance on April 24, 2023, that further restricts employers’ use of criminal records for job-screening purposes. Effective immediately, the city’s new ordinance requires...more
Illinois employers will face a host of new requirements in 2023. Below are updates and reminders regarding certain aspects of the new labor and employment landscape in Illinois....more
On October 31, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments in two landmark cases, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North...more