In a series of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2023, the House of Representatives advanced a series of unabashedly prounion positions. The most significant of the amendments bars the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) from awarding contracts to companies with workplace violations or give preferences to unionized companies. Similar “blacklisting” provisions have been proposed—and failed—in the past.

He/him. She/her. They/them. With increasing public attention over the past few years to the topics of gender identity, gender fluidity, and the rights of transgender individuals, it has become more common for people to make their pronoun preferences known to others. In the electronic world, these disclosures commonly occur in social media profiles and, most relevant to the workplace, email signature blocks. If this issue hasn’t come up yet in your workplace, it may soon.

Employers that provide retiree medical coverage for certain employees need to carefully consider how to integrate that retiree medical coverage with continuation coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Many employers assume that if retirees receive retiree medical coverage at subsidized rates (or even for free), then no COBRA coverage has to be offered. That is not true. Any time there are differences between active employee coverage and retiree medical coverage, COBRA coverage must be offered.