251. Policy Pulse: Emergency Pay, Male-Only Hiring Fails, and California Cracks Down
Description
Join Traci and attorney Bryan Driscoll for this month's Policy Pulse episode covering the latest workplace regulations that demand your attention. Together they break down the DOL's new emergency pay ruling, a shocking discrimination lawsuit, California's pay transparency expansion, and Supreme Court cases that could reshape federal workplace regulation.
Spoiler alert: Emergency pay just became part of your overtime calculation headache, and California is done with fake pay ranges.
This episode unpacks how the Department of Labor now requires emergency and hazard pay to be included when calculating overtime rates, making your payroll significantly more complex.
You'll also hear about the EEOC's lawsuit against a staffing firm that honored male-only hiring requests and why this puts all recruiters on notice. Discover how California's strengthened pay transparency law demands "good faith" ranges that include total comp, not theoretical maximums, plus why the Supreme Court's upcoming term could create wild policy swings for the NLRB and EEOC.
What We Cover:
– DOL's new emergency pay overtime requirement
– The staffing firm's male-only hiring lawsuit
– California's "good faith" pay range mandate
– Why vendor compliance doesn't absolve employer liability
– Supreme Court cases threatening independent agencies
– The ERISA fiduciary risks HR overlooks
Key Quote: "California now says you can't put in a job description what you could pay an employee. You have to put in the job posting what you will pay the employee." – Bryan Driscoll
Connect with Bryan Driscoll: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanjohndriscoll/
Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci
Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.
Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.




