In Kliskey v. Making Opportunity Count, Inc., 2025 WL 959257 (D. Mass. 2025), Carol Kliskey claimed that Making Opportunity Count, Inc. (MOC), her former employer and a private non-profit organization, violated the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. The alleged FMLA violations included terminating her health insurance in retaliation for taking leave under the Read More

President Trump recently issued an executive order (EO) that effectively cancels federal collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) across 18 federal agencies. The EO is based on the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA), which permits a president to terminate CBAs at agencies in the interests of national security. To qualify for this exemption from CBAs under the CSRA, the workers at that agency must have the Read More

According to a recent report, UnitedHealth Group has removed much of its website content related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). UnitedHealth’s spokesperson, Tyler Mason, stated that the company complies with existing laws while still trying to support the communities they serve with “a collaborative environment where we treat each other with mutual respect.” Clicking on UnitedHealthcare webpages that Read More

Littler, a law firm focusing on labor, recently published a study showing that only about eight percent of leading American companies have or intend to alter their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. The Littler study involved about 350 C-suite executives. Despite a few high-profile defections of major companies from DEI, most companies have been slow to consider any meaningful reform. The study shows Read More

Companies are increasingly embracing return-to-office (RTO) mandates, but new SHRM research and data reveal an unexpected consequence of those mandates. The incidence of uncivil acts occurring in the workplace is substantially higher for employees whose employers have issued RTO mandates. According to the SHRM Q1 2025 Civility Index, employees at companies with RTO mandates reported 63% more acts of workplace Read More

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have issued two technical assistance documents entitled: “What You Should Know About DEI-Related Discrimination at Work” and “What To Do If You Experience Discrimination Related to DEI at Work.” Although these documents do not establish any new legal rights or causes of action, they clarify employee protections under Title VII of the Read More

Several large corporations like Target and Wal-Mart have rescinded their formal DEI programs in recent months, presumably to comply with mandates and warnings by the current federal government administration. Nonetheless, a recent report shows that while corporations may be backing away from official DEI programs, they continue to embrace DEI principles in a less obvious manner. Recruiting firm BarkerGilmore Read More

A federal district court judge in Maryland has issued a preliminary nationwide injunction against several provisions in one of Trump’s executive orders related to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies at private companies. The court’s February 21, 2025, ruling in National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump, No. 1:25-cv-00333 (2025), prevents the Trump administration from enforcing Read More

Over the past six weeks, Trump has issued a slew of executive orders (EOs) purporting to outlaw diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs of federal contractors, private companies, and colleges and universities. These EOs do not invalidate or affect existing workplace discrimination laws such as Title VII. However, all organizations with inclusion and diversity policies should review them to ensure they will Read More

A U.S. District Court judge in Georgia has declined to partially dismiss a former store manager’s discrimination and retaliation claims against Sephora. Nixaliz Mestre, who is Latina, was terminated from the high-end beauty chain after refusing to prioritize white job applicants over applicants of other races. The judge ruled that Mestre’s allegations were sufficiently detailed to avoid dismissal prior to the start Read More