Week@Work

This episode highlights the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to pass on two employment cases, the EEOC’s position on employer liability for third-party harassment, a staggering $22.8 million retaliation verdict against Walmart, and a lawsuit alleging workers were harassed for not speaking Spanish. In California, Joe examines the latest twists in the Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni legal battle and a Target disability accommodation ruling that is generating significant employer buzz. He also spotlights new workplace lawsuits against major employers, including Stanford University and Sbarro. And for the Bizarre Case of the Week, we head to Hollywood, where a former Matlock writer claims the real drama wasn’t in the script—it was in the writers’ room, raising serious allegations of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.

This episode highlights several developments from DC, including a bill that would allow the government to determine the terms of union contracts, more attacks on disparate impact discrimination, and a ruling that finds the $100,000 H-1B fee to be unlawful. In California, plaintiffs’ attorneys want Phillips 66 to pay $4 million in fees in a wage and hour case, SoFi stadium in LA avoids a labor dispute days before the World Cup, and xAI, Chapman University, and the DOJ face new employment lawsuits. And our bizarre case of the week alleges that terminating a worker on leave for posting about diapers violates the FMLA.

This episode highlights two developments from the U.S. Supreme Court that impact the use of arbitration agreements, changes in green card requirements, and a jackpot settlement of a harassment lawsuit brought against a Vegas restaurant. At the state level, Governor Newsom issues an Executive Order on AI and the workplace and Tesla is headed to trial on a race discrimination case. In terms of new California lawsuits, Google accused of baby bonding bias and SKIMS faces class action wage and hour claims. And our bizarre case finds MrBeast defending the company's unusual HR policies.

This episode highlights two major U.S. Supreme Court arbitration developments, including the NFL’s failed attempt to enforce its arbitration process and a ruling allowing last-mile delivery drivers to pursue misclassification claims in court. Joe also discusses new USCIS green card guidance, a $2 million EEOC harassment settlement involving Bouchon, and Governor Newsom’s executive order preparing California’s workforce for AI-driven change. The episode also highlights Tesla’s race harassment case heading toward trial, a surge in disability accommodation lawsuits, new claims against Google and SKIMS, and a bizarre case involving MrBeast’s company and an alleged workplace culture guide that reads more like a legal exhibit than an HR policy.

This episode highlights a possible end to federal EEO-1 reporting requirements, a major settlement involving vaccine accommodation claims, and an important ADA ruling on remote work as an accommodation. Joe also discusses an Apple employee’s unsuccessful protected activity claim, a $12 million pay equity and retaliation settlement, and new lawsuits involving unpaid work time, pregnancy discrimination, and whistleblower retaliation. Plus, our bizarre case involves a police officer who tried turning a workplace complaint into a prayer.

This episode highlights the end of a rule increasing the federal salary level for exempt status, a lawsuit filed on behalf of 30,000 experts used for AI training who allegedly were misclassified as independent contractors, and a WARN suit against Spirit Airlines. In California, a bill would create new employer obligations if jobs are affected by AI and a $103 million age bias verdict is reduced to $20 million. Also, Walmart will pay $2.25 million to settle a wage and hour suit while a slew of major employers are hit with new similar suits. And our bizarre case involves a baseball umpire that doesn’t follow rules.