DEI Category Archives — Page 4 of 4 — The Employer Handbook Blog Published by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Employment Lawyer

New EEOC Chair, New Focus: What Businesses Should Know

January 22, 2025 | by Eric B. Meyer

Yesterday, President Trump appointed Andrea Lucas as the Acting Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), signaling notable changes for the agency tasked with enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. Lucas brings a clear set of priorities to address workplace discrimination. Here’s what HR professionals, employment lawyers, and business owners should know about them

1. Rights of Individuals > Group Outcomes

Lucas advocates for balanced enforcement of employment civil rights laws. She believes the EEOC’s role is to protect the rights of individuals, not to measure justice by group outcomes. This approach emphasizes that civil rights laws should be applied equally to everyone, regardless of their background. “I intend to dispel the notion that only the ‘right sort of’ charging party is welcome through our doors,” said Lucas.

Cheeseheads, Consequences, and Crossing the Line: HR Lessons from the Stands

January 16, 2025 | by Eric B. Meyer

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The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia. – modifications by User:Maps and stuff: perspective correction to straighten foreground goalpost; cropped part of sky to match aspect ratio of side-by-side image in the Philadelphia article’s montage-style infobox; removed large ad at far side of field by cloning., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

According to a NY Post report, an Eagles fan was caught in a video crudely insulting a female Packers fan at Sunday’s playoff game between the two teams at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. Within a few days, that fan—who worked in a DEI-focused consulting role—found himself without a job.

Join us today at Noon ET on Zoom to learn how November’s election results may impact employment laws in 2025

November 19, 2024 | by Eric B. Meyer

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In the wake of election results earlier this month that will result in a Republican president and a Republican-controlled Congress in 2025, it’s reasonable to expect some changes in employment law. Continue reading

Join us on November 19 at Noon ET on Zoom for a look at how November’s election results may impact employment laws in 2025

November 7, 2024 | by Eric B. Meyer

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After Tuesday, we have a newly elected Republican president, a Senate soon under Republican control, and a House of Representatives that could still hold a Republican majority. With those changes could come some corresponding shifts in employment law. Continue reading

With the DEA reportedly ready to ease restrictions on marijuana, the ADA landscape changes for employers

May 6, 2024 | by Eric B. Meyer

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Last week, the Associated Press reported that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration would move to reclassify marijuana (cannabis), moving it from Schedule I, where it’s currently listed with heroin and LSD, to Schedule III, with as less dangerous doctor-prescribed drugs like (Tylenol with codeine) and testosterone. Continue reading

In rejecting an employee’s claim that DEI training fostered a hostile work environment, a federal appellate offered a stern warning to employers

March 19, 2024 | by Eric B. Meyer

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Earlier this year, I wrote about a white employee in Colorado who claimed his former employer subjected him to a hostile work environment by requiring him to attend anti-harassment training.

An EEOC Commissioner takes issue with a billionaire’s position on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

January 31, 2024 | by Eric B. Meyer

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Folks, I did not have EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas giving billionaire Mark Cuban a public antidiscrimination lesson on my Bingo board.

But, as I was scrolling through X on Monday, here is what I saw:

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On Sunday, Mr. Cuban, of Shark Tank fame, the former principal owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and a proponent of DEI policies, tweeted that he’s “never hired anyone based exclusively on race, gender, religion.”