Caught up in the hustle and bustle of work, it can be easy to forget that everyone has a personal life, and that they may be going through a difficult time.

With two-thirds of US children reporting having experienced a traumatic event by 16 years old, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, odds are the majority of an organization’s workforce has lived through some sort of trauma.

Trauma has a wide range of definitions, but it could include a vehicle accident, serious medical event, an unexpected death of a loved one, or natural disaster, according to the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

It’s important for HR pros to understand how traumatic experiences can show up in employees’ behaviors, one workplace consultant told HR Brew. That means becoming a trauma-informed leader—and setting an example for others to do the same.

Keep reading.—MC

Is the hustle and bustle of daily life grinding you down? It’s easy to get lost in the noise and put yourself and your needs on the back burner. Now’s the time to flip that script and reposition yourself as the top priority.

Fortunately, Calm Business is hosting a complimentary 1-hour virtual event that’ll help you do just that. Calm’s Chief Purpose Officer Jay Shetty and Head of Mindfulness Tamara Levitt will hold an inspiring conversation filled with tons of mental health insights and wisdom to care for your mental health, both in and out of the office.

Like what? You can expect:

• advice for integrating a mindfulness routine into your workday
• tips for prioritizing your well-being and cultivating self-compassion
• strategies to help you show up as a mental health ally in your workplace and beyond

Save your spot.

Pay transparency is now required statewide in New York, where local ordinances had previously been passed in New York City, Westchester County, and Ithaca. It’s the eighth US state to require employers to share expected pay ranges on job postings.

Meanwhile, Illinois enacted protections for freelance workers that will take effect next summer. Here’s what HR pros should know.

New York State pay transparency law takes effect. As of Sept. 17, businesses in New York State with four or more employees are required to include expected pay ranges for any jobs, promotions, or transfer opportunities they advertise. The new law follows New York City legislation that took effect in November, and similarly requires employers with four or more workers to include a “good faith salary range” for advertised opportunities.

Neither of the laws apply to temporary help firms hiring workers for other organizations.

The New York law is broader in scope, as it applies to businesses across the state.

Keep reading.—CV

Since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, employers have been required to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled job applicants and employees. However, in 2022 alone, there were 25,004 alleged ADA violations.

In the last few weeks, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed two lawsuits alleging ADA violations against the nation’s largest private employer, Walmart. The first lawsuit alleged that a Kansas store that hired two deaf employees failed to provide accommodations including ASL interpreters during training and written communication from management, causing both employees to quit.

“These accommodations are not only required by law, but they are good for businesses, our communities, and our economy,” Andrea G. Baran, regional attorney at the EEOC St. Louis District, said in a statement.

The following week, a second lawsuit alleged that two disabled employees were fired from an Arkansas store because they failed a “knowledge assessment” test unrelated to their jobs, Reuters reported. One employee is deaf, and the other has cognitive disabilities. A Walmart spokesman claimed the testing program was discontinued years ago.

Keep reading.—KP

Think outside the training. Effective diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives require more than a webinar. And more equitable systems help employees of color feel appreciated in their roles and their workplaces. Learn how recognition can play a key role in DEI (and reduce turnover) with the latest research from Workhuman^®.

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Switching from working in an office to working from home full-time could reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by more than 50%. (the Washington Post)

Quote: “Now that people are transitioning back to the office, it might look like there’s more workplace romance, but now it’s just simply more public.”—Amy Nicole Baker, a psychology professor at the University of New Haven, on the state of office romance; her comments follow the resignation of BP CEO Bernard Looney after he admitted to having personal relationships with colleagues (Bloomberg)

Read: Bill Maher, Drew Barrymore, and Jennifer Hudson all reneged on plans to resume production of their talk shows in the midst of the WGA strike. (Axios)