California’s Civil Rights Department (CRD) released updated FAQs and Pay Data Reporting templates for payroll and labor contractor employees in advance of the 2025 Pay Data Reporting cycle. Unless the “preliminary” materials...more
12/19/2025
/ California ,
Compliance ,
Data Collection ,
Data Reporting ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Independent Contractors ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Pay Data ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Timekeeping ,
Wage and Hour
President Trump signed the highly anticipated Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence Executive Order, asserting broad federal authority over state Artificial Intelligence laws that the Administration...more
12/15/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Funding ,
Government Agencies ,
Preemption ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
Trump Administration
On December 4, 2025, the New York City Council voted to override Mayor Eric Adams’ vetoes of two bills requiring annual pay reporting and pay analyses—Int. 982-A and Int. 984-A. Originally passed on October 9, 2025, the...more
12/8/2025
/ City of New York ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Enforcement ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Equity ,
Government Agencies ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
Pay Data ,
Pay Transparency ,
Race Discrimination ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government
On October 13, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 464 into law, introducing substantial changes to California’s annual pay data reporting obligations under Government Code Section 12999, requiring the use of more...more
10/27/2025
/ California ,
Data Management ,
Data Storage ,
EEO-1 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Equal Pay ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Discrimination Rules ,
Pay Data ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Penalties ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: On October 8, 2025, Governor Newsom signed into law SB 642, which amends California’s equal pay requirements, including revising the “pay scale” definition, extending the statute of limitations for equal...more
10/10/2025
/ California ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Transparency ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Wage and Hour
Colorado has postponed implementation of its landmark AI law until June 2026, following failed negotiations during the Colorado legislature’s special session. Meanwhile, California’s Civil Rights Council has finalized...more
9/15/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automated Decision Systems (ADS) ,
California ,
Colorado ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Illinois ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Labor Laws
The U.S. Department of Justice recently issued a memorandum providing additional clarity and guidance on DEI-related programs and policies. The memo emphasizes that federally funded entities may not make decisions—such as...more
8/4/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Deregulation ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Funding ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
New Guidance ,
Race Discrimination ,
Reverse Discrimination ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration
On July 23, 2025, the White House released “America’s AI Action Plan” and President Trump signed three Executive Orders addressing AI development, federal procurement, and infrastructure. The 25-page AI Action Plan focuses on...more
7/28/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Government Agencies ,
NIST ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Trump Administration
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) continues to release policy updates despite its uncertain future. Today the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) lifted its temporary suspension on enforcement activities...more
On July 1, 2025, OFCCP published in the Federal Register a set of proposals to rescind the regulations implementing Executive Order 11246 and to modify the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and...more
7/2/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Deregulation ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Section 503 ,
Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA)
Last week, OFCCP Director Eschbach issued a letter to federal contractors inviting them to voluntarily submit information regarding their efforts to comply with Executive Order 14173, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and...more
6/30/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Deregulation ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Labor Reform ,
OFCCP ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Trump Administration
A recent decision from the U.S. District Court in Kansas—Spears v. Thermo Fisher Scientific—ruled that a pay equity analysis conducted primarily for business purposes was not protected by attorney-client privilege or the work...more
6/16/2025
/ Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Discovery ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Race Discrimination ,
Risk Management ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work-Product Doctrine
Yesterday, the EEOC opened the Online Filing System (OFS) for the 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection process. Covered employers have until June 24, 2025 to complete their submission....more
5/21/2025
/ EEO-1 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Filing Requirements ,
Final Rules ,
Gender Identity ,
New Guidance ,
OIRA ,
Portal ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sex Discrimination
On May 2, 2025, a federal district court in Washington, DC declined to issue a preliminary injunction blocking provisions of recent Executive Orders (EO 14151, EO 14168, and EO 14173) which are focused on unlawful DEI...more
5/7/2025
/ Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Due Process ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
First Amendment ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Standing ,
Trump Administration
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has submitted its revised 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 Instruction Booklet and a justification request in support of its requested revisions to the Office of Information and...more
4/28/2025
/ Data Collection ,
Discrimination ,
EEO-1 ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Gender Identity ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements
On April 23, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order entitled “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy.” The Order declares a sweeping new federal policy: “It is the policy of the United States to eliminate...more
4/25/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Deregulation ,
Disparate Impact ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Equal Protection ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Government Agencies ,
Labor Reform ,
Machine Learning ,
Trump Administration
On March 27, 2025, a federal district court in Chicago issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the Department of Labor from implementing key provisions from two of President Trump’s Executive Orders issued in...more
3/31/2025
/ Appeals ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Funding ,
Government Agencies ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
TRO
On March 19, 2025, the EEOC issued two technical assistance documents addressing “DEI-related discrimination” in the workplace. The first document, issued jointly with the Department of Justice, is a one-pager titled “What To...more
3/20/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Race Discrimination ,
Reverse Discrimination ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Title VII
On March 14, 2025, the Fourth Circuit reversed a lower court's nationwide injunction that blocked key portions of President Trump's January 2025 Executive Orders on DEI programs. While the appeal is pending, federal agencies...more
3/17/2025
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Appeals ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Due Process ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Fifth Amendment ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Labor Reform ,
Trump Administration
On Friday, February 21, 2025, a federal district court in Maryland issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of several key provisions of the January 2025 executive orders targeting DEI programs. The nationwide...more
2/24/2025
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
First Amendment ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Title VII
On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order entitled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” ...more
1/23/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
OFCCP ,
OMB ,
Trump Administration ,
Whistleblowers
On Day 1 of President Trump’s new administration, he issued a series of Executive Orders. The “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” Order revokes the Biden Administration’s prior DEI efforts...more
1/22/2025
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employees ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Trump Administration
The Trump Administration’s new Executive Order on “gender ideology extremism” signals a dramatic shift in federal policy that will impact workplace policies, benefits, and compliance obligations relating to transgender...more
1/22/2025
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Diversity ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Gender Expression ,
Gender Identity ,
Labor Reform ,
LGBTQ ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Title VII ,
Transgender ,
Trump Administration
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) has confirmed that employers subject to the new Massachusetts pay data reporting law will only have to submit their most recent EEO forms even...more
1/6/2025
/ Data Collection ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Pay Data ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Pay Gap ,
Pay Transparency ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On November 22, 2024, the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) posted long awaited guidance in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to respond to inquiries the Department has received regarding amendments to the Equal...more