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The Department of Labor (DOL) has long been cracking down on the use of unpaid interns to do the work of employees, and the most famous case alleging such abuse -- the interns on the movie "Black Swan" who filed a lawsuit for back pay -- may be drawing to a close. Or maybe not.
20th Century Fox, after losing the lawsuit in court and then winning it on appeal, is proposing a settlement that would award most of the interns $495 each -- and compensate the lead plaintiffs up to $7,500 apiece.
The settlement, however, must first be approved by U.S. District Judge William Pauley, the very same judge who sided with the plaintiffs in a summary judgment in 2013.
The plaintiffs earlier sought a rehearing with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned Pauley's judgment, but were rebuffed in February. They could still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The judge could also reject the terms.
Practical articles on HR, Safety, compliance, and people operations—written for real businesses, not legal textbooks.
DOL Updates Enforcement Approach for Employee Benefit Plans: What Employers Should Know
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced a significant change in its enforcement of employee benefit plan rules. The DOL will now focus more closely on serious violations that harm workers and retirees, meaning compliant employers may face less scrutiny under the updated approach.
Latest EEOC Enforcement Data Shows Increased Pre-Litigation Activity
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released its FY 2025 performance and enforcement results. In a news release dated April 6th, 2026, the agency reported increased monetary recoveries for victims of employment discrimination and increased enforcement activity overall....
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On February 26th, 2026, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officially reinstated its 2020 Joint Employer standard. Specifically, to do so, the agency needed to formally withdraw a 2023 Joint Employer standard. That final rule was to go into effect on February 26th, 2024.
OSHA Releases New Job Safety and Health Workplace Poster
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new workplace job safety and health notice. Specifically, the OSHA Cares Job Safety and Health poster informs workers about their rights under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act. Per OSHA’s poster page, employers do...