- Disney to Pay $43M, Analyze Comp Practices to Settle Gender Bias Suit
- California Passes Law Restricting AI Use in the Workplace
- Lack of Promotions, Unclear Career Paths Frustrating High Performers
- 55% of U.S. Healthcare Workers Plan to Switch Jobs by Next Year
- Study Shows Decline in Higher-Ed Worker Turnover
Disney to Pay $43M, Analyze Comp Practices to Settle Gender Bias Suit
A California court recently approved a $43.25 million settlement resolving a class-action lawsuit alleging that The Walt Disney Company violated equal pay laws. Disney also agreed to have an outside labor economist conduct a pay equity analysis of certain positions for the next three years.
According to a Reuters report, the lawsuit was originally filed by LaRonda Rasmussen in 2019 after she learned six men with the same job title earned substantially more than her. Some 9,000 current and former female employees of the entertainment company eventually joined the suit.
HR Dive reported the lawsuit alleged that Disney paid “women workers tens of thousands of dollars less than their male counterparts,” skipped over women for promotions and assigned them extra work without pay. In court documents, Disney maintained that its “employment policies and practices are lawful and appropriate.”
California Passes Law Restricting AI Use in the Workplace
The California legislature recently approved Senate Bill 7, known as the No Robo Bosses Act, which would require human oversight of certain artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the workplace. Employers in the state would be prohibited from relying primarily on automated decision-making systems to discipline or terminate workers, without human oversight. If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
“SB 7 does not prohibit ADS [automated decision-making systems] in the workplace; rather, it establishes commonsense guardrails to ensure that California workers cannot be fired or disciplined by robo bosses with no human oversight,” said Democratic Sen. Jerry McNerney, who introduced the bill earlier this year.
According to employment law firm Fisher Phillips, the No Robo Bosses Act will do the following:
- Employers will be prohibited from solely using AI to make decisions regarding discipline or termination.
- Employers that primarily rely on AI output to make a discipline or termination decision must involve a human in the loop.
- Employers must provide detailed advance notice whenever it uses AI to make hiring or employment-related decisions, or post-action notice if it primarily relies on AI to make a decision related to discipline or termination.
Lack of Promotions, Unclear Career Paths Frustrating High Performers
Internal career growth has stalled, leading many high performers to walk out the door, according to a new report by HR software company Workday.
The report found that unclear career paths and a lack of direction are driving away top talent. The data is based on responses from 1,700 business leaders from North America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, along with 982 job seekers in North America.
Workday found high performers were leaving with “increasing alarm” across 75% of industries last year. That trend is growing, with attrition rates higher in 100% of industries this year. The most significant increases were in retail (64%) and healthcare (28%). Additionally, more than half of open roles now take more than 30 days to fill, and a quarter stretch past 60 days, highlighting the challenge of finding and securing new talent.
The report also found promotions declined in 10 of 11 industries, and internal hiring fell 8%. This means fewer opportunities for people to advance their careers without leaving their current employer.
55% of U.S. Healthcare Workers Plan to Switch Jobs by Next Year
As reported by Reuters, more than half of U.S. healthcare workers are actively looking to leave their current jobs. Based on a survey of 1,504 frontline healthcare employees and 304 employers between June 26 and July 21, the report also found widespread burnout, dissatisfaction and a high attrition risk among this workforce.
The study found 55% of workers intended to search for, interview for or switch jobs in 2026, while 84% said they felt underappreciated at their current employer. Only 1 in 5 believed their employer was invested in their long-term career growth. Younger workers, particularly millennials and those in Generation Z, were the most likely to seek new jobs.
“Given the unprecedented need for care driven by the aging Baby Boomer population, these findings offer critical insights into how to better retain, support and prepare the people at the heart of our nation’s healthcare system,” said Jennifer Musil, the global president of research at The Harris Poll, who conducted the survey on behalf of education services company Strategic Education.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, the U.S. forecasts a shortage of nearly 700,000 physicians, registered nurses and licensed practical nurses by 2037.
Study Shows Decline in Higher-Ed Worker Turnover
While retention remains a concern at U.S. colleges and universities, turnover trended downward in 2025, according to a new report by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR).
CUPA-HR surveyed 3,791 employees from higher-education institutions across the country and found 1 in 4 employees said they are likely or very likely to look for other jobs in the next year — a nearly 25% decrease from the one-third of employees who reported the same in 2023.
Other key report findings include:
- Job security is a top concern. More than a quarter of employees considering leaving cite job security as a main reason.
- Retention risk is highest for certain groups. Younger employees, men, people of color and non-supervisors are most likely to consider leaving their current job.
- Flexible work arrangements remain in demand. Only 28% of employees have hybrid or remote options, but 61% would prefer them.
- Job satisfaction and well-being drive retention. Feeling valued, belonging, engagement and purpose are the strongest predictors of retention.
“Fewer higher-ed employees are considering leaving in 2025 compared to 2023, but retention is still a major challenge amid shifting enrollment, policy changes and rising employee expectations,” said Jennifer Schneider, a senior survey researcher at CUPA-HR. “Higher-ed leaders who act on job satisfaction, workload and fair pay will be best positioned to sustain their workforce.”
Editor’s Note: Additional Content
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