Big Data is changing everything, including how EEOC and private class action plaintiffs approach employment law claims. In this digital age, having employees means generating and maintaining tons of data. Employers are creating huge databases – including not just time, pay or other employment records, but also “hidden data” that employees generate while interacting with colleagues and the world on their computers. More and more, employers are learning to mine and analyze these data to help influence recruiting and HR decision making. At the same time, employee databases are fueling class-based employment law claims and big dollar settlements. Wage-hour class claims increasingly live or die based upon meta-data from robust timekeeping and payroll systems. EEOC and private plaintiffs have become adept at using employee databases to transform individual claims of discrimination into systemic issues, and then slice and dice the data to find “hidden” trends in hiring, firing and compensation activity. This session will provide an overview of the potential legal ramifications of Big Data in the workplace and will provide best practices to mitigate risk.