Black History Month and the March Toward Pay Equity

Black History Month

Carter G. Woodson is known as the “father of Black history”— and for good reason. A historian and president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASAHL), Woodson is credited with being the impetus behind Black History Month — initially celebrated as Negro History Week in 1926. He envisioned the…

Read More

Why Environmental, Social, and Governance is Here to Stay

Environmental, Social, and Governance

Described by its critics as “woke capitalism,” Environmental, Social, and Governance, (ESG) is facing something of a backlash. But that overlooks the far-reaching benefits to employers and investors.  A survey by The Conference Board (TCB) found that almost half of all businesses have faced ESG backlash. 61% believe that backlash will remain the same or…

Read More

Contract Worker Rights: New Jersey & Illinois Break the Mold

Contract worker rights

Groundbreaking employment legislation for contract worker rights in New Jersey (NJ) is now law. NJ is the first US state to mandate equal pay for temporary workers, followed closely by Illinois.  Effective August 5, the Temporary Workers’ Bill of Rights carries significant legal implications for temporary staffing agencies and their clients.  Legal implications for employers…

Read More

Breaking Gender Barriers in Mining: South Flank Case Study

Breaking gender barriers

A remote Australian mine is seemingly achieving the impossible in breaking gender barriers in the workplace. South Flank, a BHP iron ore mine in Western Australia, has achieved an impressive gender balance. 40% of its frontline employees and four out of its six senior managers are women. The ILO (International Labor Organization) defines gender balance,…

Read More

SEC Enforcement and ESG – What You Need to Know

ESG

When most people think of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement actions, their minds probably jump to sensational crimes seen on the news, like insider trading and Ponzi schemes. Indeed, these do make up a fair number of SEC enforcement actions. But the SEC conducts hundreds of different enforcement actions every year, collecting billions of…

Read More

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr.

On the third Monday of January each year, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Although Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first observed on January 20, 1986, it wasn’t until 2000 that all 50 U.S. states acknowledged the event. The now federal holiday honors Dr. King’s birthday and the…

Read More

EEOC’s FY 2021 Activity and the Future of Pay Equity Enforcement

EEOC

The 2022 fiscal year is shaping up to be busy for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The agency experienced a boost in activity at the end of 2021 according to its Agency Financial Report, indicating the enforcement lull it experienced in 2020 is over. A message from EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows affirms the…

Read More

Pay Equity Implications of FLSA Worker Classification Rule Reversal

FLSA

Earlier this year the Department of Labor (DOL) moved forward with its proposal to reverse a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) worker classification rule. The final rule, Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, was effectively withdrawn on May 5, before ever taking effect. In the Department’s explanation, it said “the Independent Contractor…

Read More

DOE Says Title IX Protects Against LGBTQ+ Discrimination

Title IX

A new document from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), Office for Civil Rights, brings big changes for educational organizations concerning sexual orientation, gender identity, and Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972.  The Notice of Interpretation signaled a new DOE interpretation of Title IX’s declaration that no educational program (public or private) receiving…

Read More