There has been so much activity in the DEI space that it is challenging to know which path forward is right for your organization.

In the first two weeks of the Trump administration’s second term, a number of Executive Orders have come out taking aim at DEI. We want to make sure everyone understands what these Orders do and do not mean for DEI in the workplace.

Many of the clients we work with, like many organizations overall, strive to have a workforce that is representative of the communities in which they operate. In discovery meetings, we often hear that a top priority is to implement or improve upon efforts to recruit diverse talent. But starting with recruiting diverse talent is a mistake.

Each organization’s foundational culture should also prioritize mental health and well-being. A culture committed to fostering positive mental health and well-being allows employees to bring their whole selves to work - including the personal and professional stressors they are facing - and find an environment that wants to support them and set them up for success in the workplace.

While some of the current noise around DEI is just noise, and while we can feel comforted by the majority of leaders who remain committed to DEI, it can still be challenging to lead DEI efforts. This is especially true when we encounter resistance, possibly from team members who are feeling emboldened by the current political climate and who are feeling seen by the loud voices currently criticizing any and all DEI efforts.

In the US, we have just completed a polarizing presidential race, and many in the DEI world are feeling unsure of what the next four years hold. While we certainly have heard a lot of anti-DEI rhetoric during this time, it is impossible to know how much of that will turn into action against DEI, and what form that will take.

Today is Election Day in the United States, and we at Equity At Work encourage everyone to vote.

We also encourage all workplaces to support their workers in ensuring they are able to vote - two common options are to give employees the day off for voting or to provide time throughout the day where employees can go to their polling place.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is too often seen as a controversial topic, and detractors usually offer arguments that do not actually hold up under scrutiny. Here are 15 top myths about DEI, along with commentary on how to address them in the workplace.

In the year since October 7, 2023, the situation on the ground has become more and more dire and a resolution seems farther and farther away. It can seem easier just to push it aside and encourage our teams to avoid talking about what’s happening, but that’s misguided and can serve to further isolate teammates who are continuing to experience complex feelings.

DEI has always been a bit of a sensitive topic, but as the US presidential election draws nearer, DEI and related topics have become quite charged.  If you are on the front lines of handling these conversations - even those that are positive - it is easy to feel intimidated or ill-equipped.

Supporting your DEI strategy is the development of DEI-specific content that drives your initiatives and programs forward, from best practice toolkits to DEI education materials to DEI engagement activities.

What is the state of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in 2024? It’s complicated. There continues to be intense attention paid to DEI, with detractors calling for its elimination and proponents pushing for increased investment.

Having clarity on what to say in response to social issues can feel like an impossible task nowadays.  Developing a set of internal and external communication guidelines for your organization has become imperative, particularly as multiple generations in the workplace bring a variety of expectations on what will be discussed.

Too many organizations make the mistake of stopping with beliefs and not advancing to defining behaviors, a critical misstep ripples out and impacts every part of the organization and can significantly harm an organization’s culture and people engagement strategies.

If your foundational culture isn't in a great place, DEI work can actually cause new issues to bubble to the top. The place to begin is taking a hard look at your culture and determining if psychological safety is well established and felt consistently across functions, levels, and locations.

More and more people are facing mental health challenges, including increased rates of anxiety and depression. The best companies are seeing this shift and taking proactive steps to support employees, including establishing a trauma-informed workplace.

In the US, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new guidelines last month to address how harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; sexual orientation; and gender identity), national origin, age, disability or genetic information is defined and liability is determined.  Here are some of the key takeaways, sourced directly from the EEOC…

Juneteenth commemorates the date - June 19th, 1865 - on which the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced that all enslaved people in Confederate states were free. It is an important day in American and Black and African American history, it is considered the longest-running Black or African American holiday, and it became an official federal holiday in 2021. There are many ways to honor this important holiday…