Trump's EEOC is expanding its crackdown on DEI by targeting women-only workplace networking and similar programs as potential illegal “reverse discrimination."
Here's what I told USA Today about this issue:
Women banding together to "build the relationships and visibility that have historically been handed to men is not the moral equivalent of the conduct that gave rise to the Civil Rights Act," said Jon Hyman, who chairs the employment and labor practice at the Wickens Herzer Panza law firm.
"When the agency charged with protecting workers from discrimination starts treating informal women's networking as its enforcement priority, it sends a message − not just a legal one, but a cultural one. And that message isn't 'we're enforcing the law equally.' It's 'we're using the law as a weapon against the very communities it was designed to protect.'"
You can read the rest of the article here, including thoughts from Chai Feldblum, David Glasgow, Brian Uzzi, and Reshma Saujani.
Thanks to Jessica Guynn for including me in her story.
Here's what I read this week that you should read, too.
Why Do Employers Demand Notice When They Fire At-Will? — via Improve Your HR by Suzanne Lucas, the Evil HR Lady
Why AI readiness training fails — via HR Dive
When Creating an AI Strategy, Don't Overlook Employee Perception — via Harvard Business Review
When the Algorithm Is Your Boss: Remote Workplace Surveillance and Its Potential Violation of Labor Law — via The L•E•Jer
Lifestyle blogger said to have inspired Devil Wears Prada character uses unpaid student interns — via The Guardian
Lifestyle blogger said to have inspired Devil Wears Prada character uses unpaid student interns — via The Guardian
New Decision Reaffirms Roadmap for Employers on the Interactive Process — via Dan Schwartz's Connecticut Employment Law Blog
"Take it or leave it" is not a religious accommodation strategy — via Eric Meyer's Employer Handbook Blog
Trump's NLRB Doesn't Want to Investigate Worker Complaints — via The American Prospect
4th Circuit Rules Agreements Can't Shorten Time to File Antidiscrimination Claims — via EntertainHR
Signature Required for Arbitration Agreements — via San Antonio Employment Law Blog
Is it wrong to hire a replacement before an employee is fired? — via Ask a Manager
Ohio Craft Beer's Case for Optimism — via Ohio Craft Brewers Association
A Year of Correction for Craft Beer, With Early Signals of Recovery — via Brewers Association
BA Economist: 2026 Could Be a 'Buying the Dip' Moment for New Brewers — via Brewbound
BA Economist: 2026 Could Be a 'Buying the Dip' Moment for New Brewers — via Brewbound
