On February 14, 2025, the Fifth Circuit denied the appellants’ petition for rehearing en banc in Mayfield v. United States Dep’t of Labor—a September 2024 decision holding that the U.S. Department of Labor’s authority to “define” and “delimit” the terms of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s executive, administrative, and professional (EAP) exemptions includes the
On November 15, 2024, in State of Texas v. United States Dep’t of Labor, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ruled that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) exceeded its rulemaking authority by issuing a rule in April 2024 raising the minimum salary for exemption as an executive, administrative
On March 19, 2025, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and the U.S. Department of Justice issued two technical assistance documents discussing how the agencies view and define Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) in the context of workplace discrimination: “What You Should Know About DEI-Related Discrimination at Work” and “What To
As we previously reported, on March 3, 2025, the Maryland District Court denied Defendants’ motion to stay the preliminary injunction in National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump, preventing the federal government from enforcing several DEI-related clauses in its recent Executive Orders. The court held that the Government had not
On February 26, 2025, the United States Supreme Court entertained oral argument in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, a case that centered on whether a plaintiff who is a member of a majority group must meet a higher burden—namely, showing supporting “background circumstances”—in establishing a prima facie case of discrimination under Title
With the nation’s heightened focus on DEI programs and policies, U.S. employers should carefully evaluate the legal risks associated with their DEI-related wage and hour practices.
Many employers across a broad range of industries—including financial services, technology, media, healthcare, retail, and professional services—utilize compensation-related incentives to support their DEI efforts. Practices that are likely