Dive Brief:

• HR professionals in charge of hiring and compensation decisions may be in the best position to protect their organizations from violating antitrust laws for employment. That's why the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Dept. of Justice's Antitrust Division have issued new guidance to help HR leaders do just that, according to an FTC statement.
• The document consists of directions for reporting and preventing potential violations like wage fixing and no-poaching agreements; a list of guidance on particular activities like sharing information between employers; a 'Q&A' section for everyday scenarios and short reference cards listing potential red flags.
• The FTC also said in the statement that both agencies' operations will work toward preserving a competitive employer market.

Dive Insight:

These materials should help clarify antitrust laws in light of the very competitive talent situation employees face. It's particularly relevant to the tech sector, where plaintiffs filed an anti-poaching class action lawsuit in California against Samsung and LG in September. A year ago, a landmark civil lawsuit over similar practices brought against Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel reached a $415 million settlement.

It's evident that actions which disrupt the nature of competition are just as important — and just as costly — for HR professionals as they are for any segment of business.