The Latest

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  Share your perspective in our 2026 Identity of HR survey

  HR Dive would like your insight on the state of the profession and your priorities for the future.

  Compliance

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  Black women employment sees one of its sharpest annual declines in past 25 years

  The months ahead might provide clearer answers as to whether the losses were “casualties of anti-equity backlash in action,” EPI researchers said.

  Talent

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  Week in review: Outdated hiring practices are stifling HR

  We're rounding up last week’s stories, from skills gaps getting more pronounced to dropping demand for HR professionals.

  Talent

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  Driver’s heart condition not a disability under the ADA, 8th Circuit affirms

  The case is a reminder of the contours of the law’s disability definition.

  Compliance

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  Resistance to management style didn’t create hostile work environment, court finds

  The court said that the direct report’s responses were not discriminatory microaggressions, but rather “innocent workplace misunderstandings.”

  Compliance

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  Employees need a real say in how things work to flourish, study finds

  To prevent workers from languishing, organizations must “create empowered squads that make autonomy and support the norm,” the lead researcher said.

  Talent

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  Human-led training may be more effective than digital learning

  A lack of personalization in digital sessions can lead to a loss of motivation, but a blend of asynchronous and in-person training could prove effective, according to a new report.

  Talent

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  EEOC warns agencies against ‘blanket approach’ to telework denial

  The commission said the president’s return-to-work memorandum should be approached with care.

  Talent

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  This week in 5 numbers: Nearly one-third of workers want to break up with their jobs

  Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week of HR news — including how much the demand for human resources workers has fallen.

  Compliance

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  Many workers lack access to employer-provided retirement plans, data shows

  “The bottom line is that if Americans are not saving for retirement through their employer, then they are probably not saving at all,” the National Institute on Retirement Security found.

  Comp & Benefits

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  Skills gaps may be more pronounced now than a year ago

  While more than half of hiring managers surveyed said they planned to take on workers in 2026, artificial intelligence adoption has created hiring challenges.

  Talent

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  Fewer workers say they feel a positive impact from DEI initiatives than prior years

  Executives are considerably more optimistic about the effectiveness of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts than employees, according to research from The Conference Board.

  Talent

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  When leaders misbehave, what is HR’s responsibility?

  Holding executives to account can be anxiety-inducing and complex, but a culture that fears doing so is “as fragile as a piece of glass,” one source told HR Dive.

  HR Management

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  60% of Generation Zers say they will pursue skilled trade work this year

  Fear of AI might be driving the shift. A different survey last year found fewer than 40% of Gen Zers had an interest in the trades.

  Talent

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  Kaiser reaches settlement with DOL over alleged mental healthcare access failures

  DOL alleged that Kaiser didn’t offer adequate provider networks and used patient questionnaires to prevent members from receiving care.

  Compliance

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  EEOC to spotlight ‘reverse bias’ in 2026, attorneys say

  Employers should prepare for “aggressive and assertive” activity on this front from the agency, a source told HR Dive.

  Compliance

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  SHRM: Demand for HR workers is down amid AI adoption

  Job postings for HR positions tend to mention artificial intelligence and machine learning skills more often than the wider U.S. labor market does.

  Talent

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  BLS jobs report

  Balance of economy remains ‘precarious,’ experts warn

  January’s jobs report was unexpectedly strong amid a collection of downward revisions for 2025 as a whole.

  Talent

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  Column // Happy Hour

  A third of workers say they want ‘heartbreak leave’

  If a company were to offer time off to grieve a breakup, 43% of workers say they would likely use it, career site Zety found.

  Updated Feb. 11, 2026

  Comp & Benefits

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  Legal group claims victory after EEOC ‘retreated’ on law firm DEI letters

  Most of the 20 major law firms that received letters declined to provide the requested information, and the agency said it “considers the matter of responding to those letters closed.”

  Compliance

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  Target cuts 500 roles, invests in store payroll

  The mass retailer, which cut about 1,000 corporate positions last year, is now putting “significantly” more investment into store labor and hours.

  Talent

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  What leads an employer to ‘build’ — rather than ‘buy’ — talent?

  A firm’s decision on how to secure talent “directly shapes its future competitiveness,” a researcher from the University of South Florida said.

  Talent

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  Nearly 7 in 10 workers say their skills aren’t being fully used

  The potential turnover risk from failing to fully realize workers’ capabilities leaves little room for error, Resume Now found.

  Talent

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  The rise of work ‘situationships’

  An overwhelming majority of workers say they’ve remained in a job they didn’t love, according to a new Glassdoor poll.

  Talent

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  SHRM: Inadmissible evidence ‘poisoned’ verdict in race bias, retaliation case

  The HR organization asked for a new trial after a federal jury awarded $11.5 million to a former employee last year.

  Compliance

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