Posts by Robert Sheen
EEOC Helps Bolster U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Lawsuit
The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) forges ahead in an ongoing equal pay lawsuit against its employer. Most recently the organization received support from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other federal agencies. As the case garners outside support, it continues to put a national spotlight on the nuances around pay equity. Read…
Read MoreDesigning a Successful Pay Equity Program Pt. 3: Conducting a Pay Equity Audit
Undergoing a pay equity audit is the surest way to determine whether or not your organization is fairly compensating your most valuable asset – your employees. Employees increasingly expect greater pay transparency. Advocates go further, arguing that anything less than transparency around wages reinforces discrimination and obscures structural inequalities. Furthermore, without a comprehensive understanding of…
Read MoreDesigning a Successful Pay Equity Program Pt. 2: Assessing Data Quality
Conducting a thorough pay equity audit is an important step in addressing compensation inequality among employees. It is an essential component of any diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program and, when done correctly, can increase employee satisfaction, enable an organization to proactively mitigate inequity, and reduce legal liability. However, one of the most complex issues…
Read MoreNasdaq Obtains SEC Approval for New Board Diversity Rule
Last month, Nasdaq obtained approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require a new board diversity rule for public companies listed on its stock exchange. According to a fact sheet issued by Nasdaq, the rule is intended to “encourage a minimum board diversity objective for companies and provide stakeholders with consistent, comparable…
Read MoreDEI Discrimination Claim Highlights Need for Employer Diligence
In recent years, the topic of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has rightfully become pervasive in domestic and international dialogue. However, employers should heed the dangers of adopting “overly aggressive” DEI policies within their organizations. A recent discrimination claim involving global advertising agency Wunderman Thompson is a case in point. The agency found itself…
Read MoreDesigning a Successful Pay Equity Program Pt. I
The events over the last several years propelled public momentum in addressing systemic injustice and social inequity, especially in the workplace. This has cast a bright spotlight on organizations’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts – specifically around gender and racial pay gaps. These issues are not going away. In fact, employers should expect pay…
Read MoreInside Biden’s Sweeping DEI Executive Order
On June 25, 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI&A) in the federal workforce. The executive order is a bold move from the White House and seeks to overcome enduring legacies of employment discrimination, systemic racism, and gender inequality, in addition to providing better representation of underserved…
Read MoreOFCCP Confirms It Will Leverage EEO-1 Component 2 Pay Data
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently announced that effective immediately, it would be using EEO-1 Component 2 pay data for enforcement. This is a complete departure from the agency’s previous statements. In the official notice, the OFCCP states that its original decision to not leverage the Component 2 Pay Data “was premature…
Read MoreKey Steps for Achieving A Successful DEI Workplace Culture
Now, more than ever, organizations must foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture. Creating a more equitable work organization isn’t just the right thing to do, but is also an important business decision. A 2019 report from consulting firm McKinsey & Company proves the business case for workplace equity, by illustrating how equitable…
Read MoreIRS Releases WOTC Transition Relief for Select Employers
The IRS recently issued transition relief for certain employers administering the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program. IRS Notice 2021-43 extends the typical 28-day time frame for submitting a certification request to a designated State Workforce Agency (SWA). Employees hired between January 1 and October 8 of 2021 are now able to submit WOTC requests,…
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