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Study: In Workplace First Impressions, Appearance Matters More Than Resumes
A study published in the journal Personnel Psychology analyzed hundreds of studies on workplace first impressions, noting that appearance and communication style dominate first impressions, while resumes and verbal content have less impact. Researchers suggest reducing subjective bias through structured interviews and multi-person decision-making.
US Judge Rules: United Airlines Retaining Pilot Involved in Harassment May Constitute Criminal Negligence
A federal judge in Colorado ruled on Wednesday that United Airlines, after learning in April 2024 of a police investigation into a pilot accused of distributing indecent images of flight attendants, failed to take measures such as suspension, termination, or internal investigation, and its retention of the pilot may constitute criminal negligence, allowing related charges by flight attendants to move forward.
US government proposes new H-1B rule: each lottery application may incur an additional fee of $103,265
The US Department of Homeland Security and Citizenship and Immigration Services on Monday announced a proposed rule to charge a fee of $103,265 for each H-1B visa application subject to the cap. This fee is independent of the $100,000 fee announced by the Trump administration last year, which has been halted by a federal judge. The new fee aims to provide dedicated revenue for the administrative costs of the legal immigration system. The public can submit comments within 30 days after the rule is officially published, and legal challenges are expected after the rule is finalized.
Companies that roll back DEI don’t perform better financially, study says
Jacob Grumbach, a public policy scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, recently released a report indicating that S&P 500 companies maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments under political pressure have financial performance comparable to or better than peers that withdrew such commitments. Based on two metrics—corporate revenue and abnormal stock returns—the study contradicts the prevailing corporate logic that DEI poses legal risks.
U.S. Department of Labor's Three Final Rules Abolish Affirmative Action Requirements for Federal Contractors
The U.S. Department of Labor issued three final rules on Friday, formally abolishing affirmative action requirements and related diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) provisions for federal contractors, in response to Trump's 2025 executive order. The rules target Executive Order 1965, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, with the Section 503 rule eliminating the 7% disability employment utilization goal. The effective dates of the rules differ, but none relieve contractors of their anti-discrimination obligations under laws such as the Civil Rights Act.
Court rules: Amazon employee fired shortly after disclosing pregnancy can pursue discrimination lawsuit
On August 17, the U.S. federal district court in Illinois ruled that former Amazon warehouse worker Ms. Delitz, who was fired shortly after disclosing her pregnancy, can proceed with her gender and pregnancy discrimination lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The court held that the temporal proximity between the termination and the pregnancy disclosure was sufficient to support the discrimination claim.
Meta Faces Lawsuit Over Termination of Manager Who Refused to Sign 'Inaccurate' Immigration Letter
Meta Platforms Inc. is being sued by a former manager who claims he was terminated after refusing to sign an immigration reference letter he deemed inaccurate. The lawsuit, filed in New Jersey federal district court, alleges retaliation under federal and state laws, and challenges Meta's immigration-support process as discriminatory. Meta has not commented.
Brookings Analysis Challenges CMS Assumptions Behind Medicaid Work Requirements Rule
The Brookings Institution released an analysis arguing that CMS's assumptions in the Medicaid work requirements rule are unfounded, potentially leading to inaccurate projections of coverage losses and federal savings. The report highlights discrepancies with CBO estimates and concerns about the impact on vulnerable beneficiaries.
Do HR practitioners need certifications to thrive professionally?
HR certification was once regarded as the gold standard for measuring professional skills, but the latest survey by HR Dive shows that about 21% of HR practitioners expect certification to be deprioritized in the next 3-5 years. Several HR executives shared their views on certification: some believe it is more valuable for newcomers, while others emphasize that certification signals career growth. With the rise of skills-based hiring trends, the form and importance of HR certification are undergoing subtle changes.
AI mandates may stir up religious objections. HR should prepare now.
In 2012, a coal miner in West Virginia was fired for objecting to his employer's use of a biometric palm scanner on religious grounds, ultimately receiving over $500,000 in compensation. Legal experts believe similar disputes could affect employers that have deployed AI. In recent years, religious discrimination claims have surged, and the proliferation of AI is bringing these two trends together. Due to a lack of precedent, employers handling employee requests to refuse AI use on religious grounds may face the risk of becoming 'test cases.' Experts suggest that HR departments should review policies in advance, understand the complexity of objections, and establish robust processes to evaluate and document such requests.