Littler Labor & Employment Podcast

The Faster Labor Contracts Act (FLCA) has emerged as one of the most closely watched labor proposals on Capitol Hill. To help employers understand what is at stake, Shannon Meade, Executive Director of Littler's Workplace Policy Institute, is joined by Ed Egee, Vice President, Government Relations and Workforce Development at the National Retail Federation, and Kristen Swearingen, Vice President, Legislative and Political Affairs at the Associated Builders and Contractors Association, Inc. and Chair of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, to discuss the legislation and its potential implications for employers. Together, they examine how the bill would fundamentally alter how first contracts are negotiated as well as the factors driving its bipartisan support, and the political and legislative hurdles that could shape its future in the Senate. The conversation also explores the broader labor policy landscape and key developments employers should continue to monitor as debate over the proposal unfolds. https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/podcast/policy-pulse-understanding-faster-labor-contracts-act-what-employers-need

Compensation used to be whispered about. Now it is posted in job ads, discussed by employees, scrutinized by regulators, and increasingly treated as part of an employer’s brand. So where does that leave employers trying to understand whether their pay practices are both fair and defensible? Claire Deason and Nicole LeFave are joined by Jennifer Znosko of Littler’s Pay Equity Assessment Team for a Lounge conversation about the data, legal judgment, and practical realities behind pay equity audits. Jen explains why compensation data rarely tells the whole story on its own, why state pay equity laws behave like “snowflakes,” and how a practical audit can start with the data an employer already has. The conversation also moves beyond the numbers to the bigger transparency moment: salary range posting laws, changing cultural expectations around pay information, and the careful line employers must walk when they want to speak confidently about their pay practices without compromising privilege. https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/podcast/littler-lounge-pay-equity-age-transparency

Tariffs. The United Nations. Global conflict. Supply chains. If those weren’t on your employment law bingo card, they probably should be. Hosts Nicole LeFave and Claire Deason welcome Littler’s Lavanga Wijekoon to discuss how world events have a way of showing up in the workplace. From human rights due diligence and international labor standards to platform workers, global supply chains, and cross-border compliance challenges, the episode spans a wide range of issues facing multinational employers. Also on the itinerary: the workforce implications of trade policy and geopolitical uncertainty – all part of a conversation that covers a lot of ground without requiring a passport. And if the conversation occasionally sounds like an international relations seminar, that's because today’s workplace challenges rarely stop at the border. https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/podcast/littler-lounge-global-ripple-effect-when-world-events-reach-workplace

A century ago, nobody was asking about your side hustle. Today, individuals can build a client base, start an LLC, and work across multiple states without ever stepping into a traditional office. The workforce has evolved considerably, especially over the last decade. The laws governing it? Not always at the same pace. As it turns out, employment laws from the 1930s weren't written with apps and digital platforms in mind. In this episode, Claire Deason and Nicole LeFave welcome Mike Gotzler, co-chair of Littler's Contractors, Staffing and Contingent Workers Practice Group, for a conversation about the most pressing questions clients bring to them and the legal realities behind today's workforce. From independent contractors and joint employment to gig work and workforce design, they explore what happens when modern business models meet laws that predate the internet. https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/podcast/littler-lounge-apps-llcs-and-employment-law-navigating-contingent-workforce

The FIFA World Cup is making its presence felt in workplaces around the world, bringing with it a few compliance considerations for employers. In this episode, Claire Deason and Nicole LeFave explore the wage and hour questions that can arise whenhttps://www.littler.com/news-analysis/podcast/littler-lounge-when-world-cup-meets-workday-watch-parties-wage-claimsveryone loves a good match, nobody wants an unexpected wage claim. Although this conversation is inspired by the World Cup, the takeaways apply anytime employees have one eye on work and the other on a big event. https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/podcast/littler-lounge-when-world-cup-meets-workday-watch-parties-wage-claims