In episode 245, Coffey talks with Patrick Richter about news and media items from the past month, including emerging HR risks involving AI, workplace compliance, and employer liability.

They discuss legal risks of AI-driven hiring tools and potential age discrimination claims; nuances of disparate impact versus disparate treatment under employment law; employer responsibilities when using third-party HR technology platforms; cybersecurity threats targeting HR teams through fake job applications; evolving tactics like deepfakes and identity fraud in hiring processes; ADA compliance and handling employee health disclosures appropriately; importance of the interactive process in workplace accommodations; legal pitfalls of paternalistic employment decisions; wage deduction laws and why punitive pay docking is unlawful; and broader employee relations risks from poorly designed workplace policies.

For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP245

Media mentioned in this podcast:

Workday takes partial loss as judge refuses to dismiss claims in AI bias lawsuit | HR Dive

Fake Job Applications Used to Deliver Malware Targeting HR Teams - The420.in

EEOC: Restaurant fired worker who had seizure to allow her to ‘focus on’ her health | HR Dive

Is it legal for company to deduct wages for breaking internal rules? : r/AskLegal

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If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Patrick Richter helps employers and executives navigate high-stakes employment and workplace issues with practical, business-minded legal guidance.

He helps employers and executives navigate high-stakes employment and workplace issues with practical, business-minded legal guidance.

Patrick is an experienced employment attorney, litigator, and certified mediator, with a practice that spans first-chair trial work, strategic counseling, and transactional support. He advises on the full range of day-to-day HR and workforce issues, and he regularly partners with business leaders during critical moments—from growth and restructuring to disputes that threaten people, culture, or enterprise value.

Patrick Richter can be reached at

https://rigbyslack.com/attorney/pat-richter/
www.linkedin.com/in/pat-richter-986b19

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

Understand how AI-driven hiring tools can create unintended legal exposure.
Identify proper employer responses to employee health disclosures under ADA.
Implement heightened cybersecurity training to guard against new attack methods.