The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has been on a tear this week, suing employers right and left, and getting some "wins" including a couple of big settlements . . .

Train-wreck boss. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) vacated a summary judgment decision for a Tex-Mex restaurant franchisor that had been sued by the EEOC because ...

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has issued a new directive on gender-identity discrimination, consistent with President Obama's recent amendment to Executive Order 11246. In essence, the directive says that discrimination based on gender identity is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a position that has already ...

You all know that I love telecommuting, although it works better in some instances than in others.

Before any employer starts a telecommuting program, it should ask itself three questions:

1) Does the job lend itself to a telecommuting arrangement? (You can't very well assemble Cadillac Escalades from your home office, now can you?)

2) Is the employee's home worksite conducive to work ...

Today is the last day to vote for the 2014 ABA Blawg 100. If you have already voted, thank you! If you have not voted and are so inclined, please go here before 5 p.m. Eastern today and briefly tell them why you think Employment & Labor Insider should be on the "A" list of employment law blogs. We very much appreciate your support!

According to statistics collected by the Equal Employment ...

ROBIN'S NOTE: Thanks very much to Cara Crotty, head of our Affirmative Action practice group, who allowed me to share her insights about the President's Executive Order here on the blog. This will also be going out today via email as a Constangy Affirmative Action Alert. 

More than two years after expressly declining to do so, this past Monday, President Obama signed an Executive Order

This morning President Obama signed an Executive Order amending the 1965 Executive Order 11246. President Obama's EO prohibits discrimination and requires affirmative action by federal contractors based on sexual orientation and gender identity. (It isn't clear what the affirmative action obligation will mean.)

The President's EO also makes corresponding amendments to ...

An article by Lauren Weber and Rachel Feintzeig in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal caught a lot of attention -- it was about companies that have made the decision to do without a Human Resources function.

The idea drew some positive response on Twitter:

HR stifles innovation and bogs down businesses with inefficient policies and processes. http://t.co/5cGRIwHaxR

— Mike Brice ...

I'm sure by now you have all heard about the controversy that erupted after Slate columnist Aisha Harris suggested that Santa Claus be replaced by a "holiday penguin," which she perceived to be more inclusive than a rosy-cheeked white fat guy from up North.

And then Megyn Kelly of Fox News got in trouble for saying in response that Santa Claus was (1) a real dude and (2) a white dude.

At ...