ELI in the News

Workplace ethics — the ethical guidelines that define appropriate workplace behavior — are an important aspect of an organizational culture. Companies that live up to their ethical standards may notice that employees trust each other to do the right thing, which can boost performance and loyalty. Job applicants will want to join the company, and customers will be proud to say they do business with them.

The U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights recently opened an investigation into a complaint accusing Harvard University of failing to protect Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab students and their supporters from harassment, threats and intimidation, according to a report by The New York Times. The Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), which filed a civil-rights complaint that led to the investigation, alleged that more than…

Building a respectful and inclusive workplace is a constant journey, but the new year offers HR a vital chance to recalibrate with mission, vision and values. And in a potentially hostile election year, this reset is more crucial than ever. Recent findings from the Society for Human Resource Management’s The State of Global Workplace Culture in 2023 report reflect the grim reality of organizational culture: Globally, only about half of workers…

When Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard University on Jan. 2, she did so amid a swirl of controversy that was not only damaging to her personally, but also to Harvard overall. While Gay’s situation, which involved criticism over the university’s handling of antisemitism on campus and accusations of plagiarism, was highly unusual and unlike what most corporate leaders would ever face at one time, HR leaders can learn from her…

Claudine Gay took the helm as president of Harvard University in July 2023, becoming the first person of color to lead the institution in its 388-year history. Just six months later, the academic scholar stepped down from her position amid controversy over accusations of antisemitism and mounting claims that she plagiarized past work. Her tenure is the shortest in the school’s history. “It has been distressing to have doubt cast on my comm…

In December, President Joe Biden announced the release of its Fall 2023 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, outlining the actions administrative agencies plan to issue in the near and long term. Days later, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published its regulatory agenda for the first time in over two years, joining other labor agencies in outlining key rulemaking goals for 2024.

Artificial intelligence, economic volatility and political unrest influenced how employers approached inclusion, equity and diversity (IE&D) in 2023. With a U.S. presidential election on the horizon in 2024, several workplace experts forecast the impact IE&D will have on employers and employees this year.

Phnesha Jefferson worked as a federal employee for over a decade. One of her more notable roles was serving as the chief of employee and labor relations for the U.S. Air Force. “My position afforded me a unique vantage point,” Jefferson said. “I am an African American woman who served in a leadership role, and I also managed the office responsible for employee grievances and often provided consultative services during the EEO [equal employment opportunity] complaint process.”

Since its establishment on July 2, 1965, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has been committed to its mission of eradicating workplace discrimination, both on an individual and systemic level. However, the EEOC’s recently unveiled 2022-2026 strategic plan highlights a significant shift in focus. Under the new EEOC plan, systemic claims will now be given added emphasis, highlighting the need for a proactive approach to comprehensively address workplace discrimination.

After one U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission member called a billionaire’s take on workplace diversity, equity and inclusion programs “dead wrong” on social media, three other EEOC commissioners used the same…