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On February 26, 2026, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Andrea Lucas sent a letter to the leaders of Fortune 500 companies to ensure that their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs comply with civil rights laws, highlighting the agency’s recent efforts to rein in corporate DEI programs it claims “attack” principles of equal opportunity. […]
Almost two years ago, in March 2024, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued a Charge of Discrimination against Nike, alleging that aspects of the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) policies may have resulted in discrimination against white employees and job applicants. Most recently, in an escalation of its investigation, on February 4, 2026, the EEOC took the unusual step of filing a subpoena […]
On February 4, 2026, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed suit against Nike in the Eastern District of Missouri, claiming the company had not complied with the agency’s requests for information in its investigation that it discriminated against white employees and applicants. The case was filed in Missouri because the EEOC’s St. Louis office […]
Here’s a true story. Dennis is 28 years old and has Down syndrome. After high school, he lived in a county group house and spent five years stuffing calendars into cardboard tubes—reliable but unrewarding work. A former student of one of the authors, now a restaurant owner, hired him as a waiter. Dennis quickly mastered […]
Amid the focus on culling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and initiatives over the past year, employers must distinguish DEI efforts from core compliance activities, such as equal pay audits. Compensation reviews and audits should remain a routine best practice for organizations to ensure compliance with federal, state, and international laws. Additionally, such audits […]
This year, the conversation around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) hit unprecedented turbulence. We saw pushback—not just from some organizations, but across various industries, even the federal government. Despite these setbacks, fostering a resilient, inclusive environment is more critical than ever. The businesses that embrace these values—and understand them as a strategic driver, not […]
When President Donald Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14173—“Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”—earlier this year, what grabbed headlines was the repeal of EO 11246, which had mandated that federal contractors meeting certain size criteria develop affirmative action plans since 1965. EO 14173 also created two new certifications on the system for award management […]
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has started investigating federal contractors and grant recipients for allegations that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs violate antidiscrimination laws. Background In addition to revoking Executive Order (EO) 11246, President Trump’s January 31, 2025, EO 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, also added a new certification requirement […]
The 2026 State of People Strategy Report, based on a survey of over 1,000 HR professionals worldwide, reveals a significant shift in priorities. While many companies are pulling back on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives, the data uncovers a surprising secret of the most successful HR teams: they are more committed to DEIB […]
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Division is sending civil investigative demands (CIDs) to federal contractors seeking information on their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices under its authority to investigate False Claims Act (FCA) claims. Flowing from President Trump’s Executive Order 14173, which seeks to limit DEI efforts, the DOJ recently launched the […]