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.

How Companies Are Quietly Backsliding on Diversity and Gender Equity

There’s no question that we’re facing a time of skepticism about and hostility toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. As a DEI consultant based in Florida, I have a front-row seat.  On the other hand, my role affords me countless opportunities to connect with people who are passionate about this work. Every day, I […]

This DEI Leader Started Her Career in High School

It’s rare for today’s business professionals to spend their entire career with the same organization—something that was much more common decades ago. But Keyla Cabret-Lewis has worked with Aflac not only her entire professional career but also even as an intern during her high school years. Cabret-Lewis started her journey with Aflac as a junior […]

Here’s Why Coming to the Office May No Longer Be Deemed an ‘Essential Job Function’

Before March 2020, courts frequently rejected claims by workers who said they should be allowed to work from home as an accommodation for a disability. Judges routinely concluded that on-site attendance—coming into the physical workplace—was an “essential job function” and that working from home wasn’t a “reasonable accommodation” that employers had a duty to offer […]

Pay It Forward: Turning Pay Equity into a Reality

Think back to the beginning of the pandemic. Parents took on roles as teachers, caretakers, and much more in addition to their full-time jobs. Furthermore, countless articles suggest that women took on the bulk of those responsibilities, and, despite the additional duties in and out of the home, industry data still indicates that women earn […]

HR Works Presents A Seat at the Table: Supporting Your Workforce with Divorce Benefits

We all know that divorce can be costly. According to a recent study, the average divorce can cost upward of $15,000 – and if you have disputes over finances or custody, that number will be even higher.  But did you know that divorces are costly for employers as well? Experts say relationship-related stress — especially divorce — can cause companies […]

Are Your PTO Policies Inclusive?

One of the keys to developing an effective benefits package is recognizing that employees always have to be treated as unique individuals. This has become even more important in recent years as employees increasingly demand flexibility and companies prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Generic benefits often fail to meet the needs of diverse workforces, […]

LGBTQ Rights Lose to Employer’s Religious Beliefs

On June 20, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Texas employers) delivered a blow to advocates of LGBTQ rights in the workplace when it sided with a self-described Christian business whose policies discriminated against gays. The lesson: Not all discrimination is unlawful discrimination. Discriminatory Policies Braidwood Management manages various […]

4 Keys to Effective Equity-Informed Policies

A growing number of organizations have begun to view diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as an important investment in their long-term success. We have seen an unprecedented number of equity commitments from industry-leading organizations. From public statements to community initiatives, companies are pouring dollars and hours into DEI. These efforts are commendable, but they aren’t […]

Supreme Court Ruling Raises Questions About Workplace DEI Efforts

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision against using race as a factor in college admissions doesn’t directly affect employers, but it’s sparking worries about a backlash aimed at efforts to increase diversity in the workplace. In a June 29 decision, the Court ruled 6-3 that admissions procedures at Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate […]

A Focus on Fixing the Ecosystem

Great leaders are often borne of necessity. They see something wrong with the current state of affairs and decide they should make a personal effort to change things for the better. That’s the case with the subject of this installment of our series on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leaders: Hallam Sargeant, Chief Inclusion and […]