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.

service

Handling ADA Requests for Service Animals at Work

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many remote employees have no doubt strengthened their bonds with and emotional dependency on their pets and, in some cases, service animals. As a result, you should expect to see a surge in animal-related accommodation requests as workers return to their physical workplaces. Here are some ideas to help you properly […]

Diversity Initiatives, Religious Freedom, and LGBTQ+ Rights Can Coexist at Work

Maintaining a diverse workforce is increasingly necessary for companies to be competitive and successful in the global marketplace. But what happens when diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives collide head-on with your obligation to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs? Employers are facing such dilemmas with increasing frequency as they build and strengthen their efforts toward […]

imposter syndrome

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

Few feelings in one’s professional life can top the elation of landing a coveted job or promotion: the excitement of new responsibilities, greater prestige, and (hopefully) more money. But that elation often quickly has to compete for emotional bandwidth with a specific flavor of workplace anxiety known as “imposter syndrome.” Many people have probably heard […]

Making a Difference and Having a Positive Impact

For this round of our spotlight on diversity and inclusion (D&I) leaders in corporate America, we spoke to Mia Vasser, Culture, Diversity, and Engagement Program Manager with CallRail. Vasser is relatively new to the D&I scene, but she has found a great organization where she can have a positive impact. CallRail has made D&I efforts […]

criminal record

Illinois Bias Law Now Covers Criminal Convictions

Illinois employers now have yet another law to navigate. The state human rights statute now bans discrimination based on a candidate’s or employee’s criminal conviction unless the employer can show a “substantial relationship” exists between the conviction and the job or that the employment would involve an “unreasonable risk” to property or safety. Conviction Records […]

Rethinking Disability Hiring Practices in the Economic Aftermath of COVID-19

The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows there are currently 8.1 million job openings. After record-high unemployment rates, that number should be a positive indicator of recovery, but it could create problems for employers if those jobs remain unfilled. HR professionals have pulled out all the stops to attract talent, yet […]

money balance

7th Circuit Sends Sex-Based Salary Comments Back to the 1950s

As any high schooler with a smartphone will tell you, your words can haunt you long after you utter them. One high school recently learned the same is true for its employees, thanks to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Read on to see why the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose decisions apply […]

Steve Pemberton on the Value of Workplace Diversity to the Larger Society

Steve Pemberton has come a long way since he entered the foster care system as a toddler. The chief HR officer at workplace recognition company, Workhuman, chronicled his life story in a book released in 2012 that was subsequently made into a movie. The book, A Chance in the World: An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious […]

inclusion

Taking a Holistic Approach to DEI

Dawn Frazier-Bohnert is EVP and Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer with Liberty Mutual Insurance—a role she has held since 2013. In her role, she is responsible for leading the design, development, and implementation of Liberty Mutual’s global DEI strategy and programs. It’s a big job and is as rewarding as it is challenging. […]

harassment

6th Circuit Sets Boundaries for Hostile Work Environment Claims

The 6th Circuit (which covers Michigan and Ohio employers) recently provided employers with fresh guidance on what workplace actions may be considered “based on sex” and how severe and frequent the circumstances must be to create liability for a hostile work environment claim. Facts Nicole Massey began working for the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department […]