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In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Jim Paul (St. Louis/Tampa), Aimee Parsons (Portland (ME)), and Carolyn Russell (Houston) break down the EEOC’s shifting enforcement priorities under Chair Andrea Lucas, including the rescission of the 2024 harassment guidance and the agency’s stance on unlawful DEI. The speakers also examine the Supreme Court’s 2025 Ames decision, eliminating the heightened evidentiary standard for majority-group discrimination claims, and offer practical guidance for employers navigating a rapidly changing compliance landscape across multiple jurisdictions.

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In this episode of our Defensible Decisions podcast series, shareholder Scott Kelly (Birmingham/Washington) is joined by Pete Bell and Chrissy Blantz from the firm’s Data Analytics team to introduce the firm’s Talent Risk Assessor—a comprehensive dashboard built to help employers identify workforce risk across the entire employment lifecycle. Scott, who is chair of the firm’s Workforce Analytics and Compliance Practice Group, discusses with Pete and Chrissy how the tool brings together data on hiring, separations, talent progression, and pay equity into a single, actionable view. Tune in to learn how Ogletree’s legal and data analytics teams collaborated to build a proactive solution for employers navigating today’s evolving compliance landscape.

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In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Simone Francis (St. Thomas/New York) and Lauren Hicks (Indianapolis) explore the fast-moving legal landscape surrounding AI ethics in the workplace, from the ethics rules that already govern attorney AI use to the cautionary tales of real cases with real consequences. Lauren and Simone unpack the emerging privilege and discovery risks that arise when confidential information enters consumer AI tools. The speakers close with practical guidance on AI use policies, bias auditing for employment tools, and the state compliance landscape employers need to navigate now.

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In this episode of our Litigation Lens podcast series, Michael Nail (shareholder, Greenville) is joined by Sarah Zucco (shareholder, New York) and Olivia Orlando-Donovan (associate, New York/Stamford) to break down Judge Lyman’s April 2026 opinion in Lively v. Wayfarer Studios—a 152-page decision arising from the production of It Ends With Us. The speakers examine the court’s independent contractor ruling, the enforceability of unsigned agreements, and the FEHA retaliation claim that survived dispositive motions. Tune in for practical takeaways on worker classification, contract execution, and the fine line between defending your reputation and retaliating against a complainant.

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In this installment of our Payroll Brass Tax podcast series, Mike Mahoney (Morristown/New York) and Megan Menguc (Washington) break down the most common strategies for consolidating payroll across related entities. Megan and Mike, who is chair of the firm’s Employment Tax practice group, walk through three distinct approaches, examining the practical benefits and limitations of each: (1) captive employee leasing, (2) Section 3504 agent reporting, and (3) common paymaster arrangements. The speakers also address the broader cross-disciplinary considerations that employers should keep in mind before restructuring how payroll is reported.

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In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Samantha Duncan (Washington) and Justin Tarka (London) tackle the UK’s Employment Rights Act 2025, the most sweeping overhaul of British employment law in decades, with changes rolling out across 2026 and into early 2027. The speakers walk global employers through the staggered timeline, from February’s industrial action updates and April’s day-one entitlements to October’s extended tribunal claim window and the landmark January 2027 changes to unfair dismissal protections.

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In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Tina Bengs (Chicago/Indianapolis), Joseph Cartafalsa (New York), and Michael Riccobono (Morristown) walk through a comprehensive compliance checklist covering mandatory leave and accommodation obligations for disability, pregnancy, and religion, along with family and medical leave laws. The speakers also address how to navigate ERISA, COBRA, and benefit plan terms to help employers keep their organizations compliant and their employees supported.

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In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Robert Niccolini (Baltimore/Washington) and Anne Larson (Chicago) examine the full lifecycle of managing a challenging employee, from early identification of common types (including the workplace bully and the chronic social butterfly) to targeted strategies for communication, discipline, and documentation. Listeners will come away with a practical framework for prelitigation planning that helps organizations protect themselves before a personnel problem becomes a costly legal dispute.

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In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Patty Shapiro (San Diego) and Goli Rahimi (Chicago) examine a growing trend of companies citing AI adoption as a basis for workforce reductions and how courts around the world are beginning to weigh in on whether those terminations are legally defensible. The speakers discuss how recent rulings from China and Spain reached different conclusions when considering unfair dismissal claims resulting from AI adoption, underscoring why local law, process, and documentation remain critical for global employers navigating AI-driven restructuring decisions.

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In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Scott Kelly (Birmingham/Washington) and Nonnie Shivers (Phoenix) break down key compliance considerations in today’s enforcement environment, including how to identify and mitigate DOJ False Claims Act risks tied to unlawful “proxy” discrimination, the permissibility of recruiting practices in higher education, and the strategic use of privileged analytics to evaluate talent acquisition strategies and reduce legal exposure.