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Ahead of the April 22 shareholder meeting, Guess's board is backing co-founder Paul Marciano's re-election, but lawsuits over sexual misconduct allegations, opposition from activist investors, and insurers' retreat have put board governance issues in focus. Legal experts note that the board's 2019 decision to reinstate Marciano could constitute 'aiding and abetting sexual harassment,' while brand monitoring data shows the public does not closely associate the Guess brand with Marciano himself, contradicting the board's claim that 'Paul is Guess.'

As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) prepares new rules for 2022, human resources (HR) may become a focal point. In 2020, the SEC revised rules requiring companies to disclose 'human capital resources,' but lacked specifics. This year may bring more concrete requirements, including board diversity and human capital management disclosures. Investors are increasing pressure on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, and the role of the CHRO will undergo fundamental changes.

In December 2021, Kronos Private Cloud was hit by a ransomware attack, causing payroll and attendance disruptions for multiple employers. Although the outage was described as 'unprecedented,' most surveyed customers said they would continue using Kronos, but the incident also sparked discussions about vendor dependency, backup plans, and legal risks.

As the U.S. labor market tightens, employers increase wages, but inflation offsets real gains. Companies are adopting more flexible financial rewards such as mid-year raises and instant bonuses, while also focusing on non-compensation factors like career development and flexibility to stay competitive in the talent war.

Against a backdrop where inflation far exceeds salary increases, the U.S. labor market's quit rate has hit a multi-year high, with nearly one-third of job switchers seeing salary increases exceeding 30%. Although CFOs plan to raise salaries by more than 3%, experts warn that population aging and early retirement will constrain labor supply, and companies need to proactively address the talent war through incentive plans, benefits optimization, and supervisor training.

During the pandemic, workplace violence against healthcare workers has become increasingly severe, ranging from verbal abuse to physical assault and even frequent homicide incidents. This article explores the current situation, causes, and countermeasures of violent incidents.

On February 10, the U.S. Senate passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (#MeToo bill) by voice vote, which targets only sexual assault and sexual harassment claims, and President Biden is expected to sign it soon. This article traces the development of mandatory arbitration from the Federal Arbitration Act of 1925 to the Gilmer case in 1991 and the Epic Systems case in 2018, analyzes its operational process and controversies, and cites multiple lawyers and data from the Economic Policy Institute to explore whether this bill will become a starting point for abolishing broader mandatory arbitration.

The warehousing and logistics industry is facing unprecedented labor shortages, accelerating the implementation of disability-inclusive hiring programs. Consulting firm James Emmett & Company saw revenue triple last year and expects it to double again in 2022; Advance Auto has hired over 360 autistic or deaf employees across 16 distribution centers through this program. Industry experts note that disabled employees excel in loyalty and innovation, but bias remains a barrier to broader adoption.

On January 13, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to stay OSHA's COVID-19 vaccine emergency temporary standard, allowing some employers to pause mandatory vaccination plans. However, legal experts point out that workplace safety obligations remain unchanged, and OSHA may shift to a narrower permanent standard, compounded by variables such as state-level regulations, testing costs, and the definition of 'fully vaccinated,' making employer compliance challenges still complex.

Telemedicine rapidly expanded during the pandemic, but its equity still faces challenges. This article explores how telemedicine can serve as a bridge to healthcare services and how employers can ensure its accessibility and inclusiveness.