Category: Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is an important and ongoing strategy of any HR plan. Ensuring that your company supports hiring, engaging, and retaining diverse workers with varied backgrounds will set your company up for long-term success and an increased bottom line. This topic offers the latest strategies for talent management, key insights from diversity leaders, case studies on D&I in the workplace, and more.
A recent study by Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) provides new large-scale evidence that artificial intelligence (AI) hiring tools can produce racially disparate outcomes. For employers increasingly relying on automated screening to manage applicant volume, the study raises significant legal risk, particularly under long-standing disparate impact principles. Details The Stanford researchers analyzed […]
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers to accommodate the religious practices of their employees unless doing so would impose an “undue hardship on the conduct of the employer’s business.” Based on one sentence from a 1977 U.S. Supreme Court opinion, federal courts previously interpreted “undue hardship” to mean any effort […]
On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, a coalition of 20 states and the District of Columbia filed suit in the federal district court for the District of Maryland challenging the actions taken to implement Executive Order (EO) 14398, “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors.” The lawsuit alleges the actions exceed statutory authority and were issued without […]
For nearly a decade, corporate inclusion efforts were all about signing pledges, building coalitions, and making big promises. But in today’s intense legal and cultural environment, good intentions simply aren’t enough to protect a business or unite a workforce. To meet this high-stakes moment, SHRM has officially launched the SHRM Center for Inclusion and Diversity […]
“Race” is in quotes in the headline because the lawsuit covered in this article illuminates a definition of “race” that might surprise you. Tenure Denied, Terminal Year Triggered, Lawsuit Filed Academia is a self-contained universe. Your employment contract is renewed year to academic year if performance is satisfactory. In year six, the year-to-year probationary period […]
President Trump has signed another Executive Order (EO) banning “racially discriminatory DEI activities.” Contractors will be required to acknowledge compliance with multiple obligations, including potential access to books, records, and accounts, as well as for oversight of their subcontractors. The new EO further defines “racially discriminatory DEI activities” and “program participation.” Based on the newly […]
When the political landscape gets tough, how do you keep business leaders committed to building inclusive workplaces? During a recent panel on “Building Belonging Without Backlash,” Kitty Chaney Reed, the retired VP & Chief Leadership, Culture and Inclusion Officer at IBM Corp., shared that the secret isn’t talking about corporate buzzwords or policy shifts—it’s about […]
Most companies think they have an inclusive culture. The reality is more complicated. Many employees still spend more energy trying to fit in than doing their best work. People generally want to be included in the work that matters most to them. It is human nature. Inclusion at work is about being seen, heard, and […]
In the year since President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, the federal government’s approach has evolved from initial guidance to active investigations and other legal challenges to workplace DEI programs. Recent actions by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Justice, and Federal Trade Commission signal […]
Over the last several months, we’ve witnessed increased attacks by the federal and state governments over employers’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. It seems that the National Football League (NFL) is the most recent organization to find itself in those crosshairs. The Rooney Rule In 2003, the NFL adopted the Rooney Rule at the […]