Microsoft is taking steps to prevent cybersecurity attacks following a recent uptick in breaches by foreign actors, and the company says employees will play a central role in these efforts.

The tech firm was subject to two cyberattacks in the past year that attracted the attention of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Last July, Chinese hackers infiltrated government email accounts, and in March, Microsoft said hackers backed by the Russian state were able to access “the company’s source code repositories and internal systems.”

The first attack prompted a report by DHS’s Cyber Safety Review Board, which found Microsoft’s security culture was “inadequate,” and provided recommendations for the company to prevent such attacks in the future. In a June 13 Congressional hearing, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said the company was following these recommendations, and called them “a clarion call for stronger action for every employee who works at Microsoft.”

How Microsoft will track employee contributions to cyber goals. To promote accountability on cybersecurity among Microsoft’s workforce, the company is tying its goals to executive pay, as well as making them a part of employee performance reviews.

Keep reading here.—CV

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Nearly one-half of women and men (47.3% and 44.2%, respectively) report having experienced domestic violence at some point in their lives, according to a recent report from the Center for American Progress (CAP). And its effects can be felt in the workplace: 83% of survivors report that the abuse has impacted their ability to work, and the US loses an estimated 8 million days of work every year as a result, according to the Center for Domestic Peace.

Victims and their families may need time off from work to relocate away from their abuser, attend court proceedings, or access care. In response, some cities and states—including Minnesota, Colorado, and Oregon—have mandated, as part of their paid medical leave regulations, that employers offer safe leave, so survivors of domestic violence can take time off without missing out on pay or losing their jobs. Federal employees can now access this type of leave, too.

The policies vary by location. For instance, Massachusetts does not cover victims of sexual violence, while Oregon provides leave in harassment cases; others states, like Arizona, extend coverage if the victim is a child or vulnerable adult. Similar to sick leave rules, employers are prohibited from requiring employees to provide documentation for why they need to use safe leave, unless it extends beyond a certain length of time.

Whether or not an employer operates in a state that requires safe leave, some experts recommend that it has clear policies regarding domestic violence and sexual assault so employees know how they’re supported.

Keep reading here.—KP

A rule implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) took effect on June 18 after a federal judge in Arkansas dismissed a lawsuit challenging it. Some Catholic organizations and employers in Louisiana and Mississippi, however, were temporarily exempt from complying due to a separate federal ruling.

Why state AGs challenged the rule. The PWFA, which took effect last year, requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide “reasonable accommodations” to workers who are pregnant, have given birth, or are experiencing a related medical condition. The rule, issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), states that abortion is a covered condition for which workers may request accommodations under the law.

In a lawsuit filed on April 25, Republican attorneys general from 17 different states took issue with the inclusion of abortion in the final rule, arguing it went further than the original legislation, which was passed with bipartisan support in 2022.

A judge dismissed the lawsuit on June 14, which had requested a nationwide preliminary injunction on the rule.

Keep reading here.—CV

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