The HR Specialist

09/14/2026

It’s that time of year again, when next year’s pay increases are being set. According to the consulting firm Marsh (formerly known as Mercer) total pay increases are expected to be modest as they have been in the past three years. The firm surveyed 1,001 U.S. organizations and found that employers on average plan to... View Article

09/14/2026

The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued its first Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) opinion letter after this year’s launch of the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service opinion letter campaign. The program was created as an expansion of the Trump administration’s push to emphasize employer education over enforcement. Opinion letters answer questions... View Article

09/14/2026

Back when the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) went into effect in June 2023, there was much talk of the law, which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related limitations, also covering menopausal symptoms and limitations. Menopause, however, did not make it specifically into the regulations. And given the EEOC’s current reconsideration of PWFA... View Article

09/14/2026

A recent study from the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business may help employers deciding whether to enforce a complete return to office (RTO) policy in face of worker opposition or whether to pursue a hybrid schedule. While employers may view the office setting as more productive, the study doesn’t bear that out. According... View Article

09/14/2026

Employees who suffer from chronic serious health conditions that flare up unpredictably can request intermittent FMLA leave. Employers should make sure they request and receive an appropriate intermittent leave certification from the employee’s health care provider. That certification will spell out an estimate of how often and for how long each flareup likely will last.... View Article

09/07/2026

The Department of Homeland Security is updating the cost and scope for filing an H-1B petition. Soon, employers will have to pay a $103,265 fee with each petition to sponsor a foreign worker for one of the limited number of visas available. The proposal is open for public comments until September 25 and goes further... View Article