Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), sometimes expanded to include Accessibility (DEIA), has faced criticism in the media for being perceived as entitlement-driven, disconnected from the broader population, lacking genuine inclusivity, and focused on meeting quotas. During the first Trump administration, some government agencies implemented DEI training that framed all white individuals as inherently privileged and prejudiced, reportedly separating them into different rooms for...

The U.S. Federal District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued an order halting further action in an enforcement case brought by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) against ABM Industry Groups LLC, a janitorial service provider in Houston, Texas. The case involves allegations that ABM favored Hispanic applicants over African American applicants in its hiring practices. The court’s ruling prevents the U.S. Department of Labor, the Acting Secretary of...

In recent developments, a couple of court cases need to be noted by employers who do diversity activities.  The first is the Fearless Fund case.  Fearless Fund is an investment fund that sought to administer a contest that would have awarded $20,000 grants to small businesses owned by Black women.  The American Alliance for Equal Rights (the Alliance), an organization led by Edward Blum, who led the charge against the Harvard and University of North Carolina’s...

Ageism is real in the workplace. Resume Now released findings to its 2024 State of Ageism in the Workplace report, which examines the prevalence and impact of age-related discrimination. The survey polled 1,003 U.S.-based workers who are aged 40 or older and found that 90% of respondents have experienced ageism in their workplace.

In today’s dynamic work environment, where teamwork and honesty are paramount, the role of managers has never been more critical. Managers who cultivate authentic dialogue and demonstrate vulnerability are laying the foundation for a healthy and productive workplace culture, which is essential for advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

In recent developments, a couple of court cases need to be noted by employers who do diversity activities.  The first is the Fearless Fund case.  Fearless Fund is an investment fund that sought to administer a contest that would have awarded $20,000 grants to small businesses owned by Black women.  The American Alliance for Equal Rights (the Alliance), an organization led by Edward Blum, who led the charge against the Harvard and University of North Carolina’s race...

recently put out a statement that they will be removing the “E” in DEI. Saying they are moving to just I&D, focusing on the importance of inclusion and then diversity more than equity. They are removing equity to focus on inclusion and diversity as a way to address the current shortcomings of DEI programs that they believe have received societal backlash and have caused increasing polarization.

In Groff v. DeJoy, 600 U.S. 447 (2023), the U.S. Supreme Court raised the bar on denying religious accommodations from showing an "undue hardship" in making the accommodation to incur "substantial increased costs" compared to the normal costs of business.  Previously, an employer could show that de minimis increase of costs would be an undue hardship. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been a hot topic the past few years.  The diversity and inclusion part, not as much, but the equity aspect quite a bit.  The Harvard case was called an affirmative action case, but it had nothing to do with affirmative action.  It was a case about equity and access to Harvard.  The approach taken was a quota system, which is illegal under all laws.  Diversity is not about quotas, it’s about working together to provide...

To test whether employers discriminate against job applicants based on perceived race based on names, economists with the University of California Berkeley and University of Chicago sent out about 80,000 fabricated resumes to 97 large employers using equivalent qualifications but different personal characteristics during the period of 2019-2021. They changed applicants’ names to suggest that they were white or Black, and male or female — Latisha or Amy, Lamar or Adam.

With gender identification becoming more fluid, there is an inherent conflict of how to identify a fluid gender employee while respecting religious beliefs.  As a result, there are more court cases filed to protect one right with a defense of the other right leaving employers in the middle and on edge at times.  This tension can cause disruptions to the culture and to productivity if not addressed properly, whatever that may mean.

Approximately one year following the widespread introduction of ChatGPT, the realm of generative AI (GenAI) has generated a mix of enthusiasm and apprehension among employees and their respective organizations.

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled on a sex discrimination case where the Plaintiff argued she was denied a promotion twice and then the employer moved to demote her because she was heterosexual. The case involved the “unusual employer who discriminates against the majority.” This type of discrimination is sometimes erroneously referred to as reverse discrimination.

Under general EEO law, federal anti-discrimination law liability arises depending on the federal circuit court of appeals in three situations:  the Sixth Circuit prohibits any “materially adverse change in the terms of employment;” the Ninth Circuit prohibits any adverse treatment “reasonably likely to deter” the plaintiff from engaging in protected activity; and finally, the Fifth and Eighth Circuits prohibit an “ultimate employment decision.” ...

Charlene Carter was a flight attendant at Southwest.  She allegedly claimed that she was fired because she objected to her union's participation in a protest for which Planned Parenthood was a sponsor.  Prior to that, Carter sent repeated messages on social media to the president of Carter's flight attendant union, expressing outrage over the union president’s alleged pro-abortion beliefs. The union president attended the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, D.C....

A recent case from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, Braidwood Management, Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, No. 22-10145 (5th Circuit Court of Appeals, 6/20/23), has opened the door for a possible super statute that can override the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In other words, a company who may be a for-profit but with a religious bent, think Hobby Lobby, could discriminate in hiring, for example, against someone of the LGBTQ community, a mother out of wedlock, and more. ...

The Supreme Court ruled on June 30th in Creative LLC v. Elenis, No. 21–476 (6/30/23) that the First Amendment prohibits the state of Colorado, through its antidiscrimination statute, from forcing a website designer to create expressive designs speaking messages with which the designer disagrees.  Although it is framed as a public accommodation case, this case, along with the Groff v. DeJoy, Postmaster General (600 U.S.___2023) religious accommodation case, may make it interesting...

SHRM recently published a study that presents new findings on age discrimination at work and its impact on the American workforce. According to the research, approximately 30% of workers in the United States have experienced unfair treatment based on their age at some point in their careers. Out of these individuals, 72% have admitted that such mistreatment has made them contemplate quitting their jobs.

Whether or not the Harvard affirmative action case impacts corporate DEI programs is unlikely to be known until the decision comes down in June.  The issue with the Harvard case before the Supreme Court is about proportional representation in student admissions under the guise of diversity for the student body.  The Court is likely to rule against Harvard and the University of North Carolina. They are also likely to overturn the University of Michigan law school case that was...

The Detroit Tigers longtime Visiting Team Clubhouse Manager was let go in 2022 based on poor ratings received by visiting ball clubs going back to a 2017-2018 survey. The 58-year-old manager had been employed in that position for over 30 years, and his ratings during that tenure had been generally positive. The released manager is also African American and was replaced by a younger white employee.  John Nelson, the terminated employee, sued the Detroit Tigers for age and race...

Last week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA). The bill reaffirms legal protections for sexual orientation and expands coverage to include gender identity and expression. 

The National Labor Relations Board Office of General Counsel issued an Advice Memorandum with the position that group discussions in the workplace concerning racial bias are protected concerted activity under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and employees who engage in such activity are protected from employer retaliation.  This memo applies to both union and nonunion employees.

DEI initiatives have stalled for a second year according to the McLean & Company HR Trends 2023 survey results.  In our work helping companies develop roadmaps for DEI, a handful of key areas lacking:

Many neurodivergent job seekers say they’ve faced barriers in the hiring process despite offering many positive attributes that can help employers thrive, such as creativity, accuracy, loyalty, and other strengths. 61% of neurodivergent respondents to a recent survey said they experienced stigma or felt misunderstood at some point during their career. So, how can you create an inclusive environment that embraces neurodiversity?

On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects LGBTQ rights (Bostock v. Clayton County Georgia, No. 17-1618 (June 15, 2020)).  Before the decision, 21 states had their own laws prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and seven more provided that protection only to public employees. Michigan just recently added itself to the list.