An Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) promotes fairness and prohibits discrimination in the workplace based on protected characteristics. Compliance with EEOC regulations is crucial for most US companies. Being an EEO employer fosters diversity, bringing unique perspectives and capabilities, enhancing business success.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) refers to fair, unbiased treatment in the workplace. Employers are prohibited from discriminating against existing or potential employees based on protected characteristics, including:

• Race / color
• National origin / ethnicity
• Religion
• Age
• Sex / gender / sexual orientation
• Medical history

In the US, companies need to comply with the regulations of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a regulatory body that enforces a group of federal EEO laws. These regulations apply in every work situation; for example when employers hire, terminate, compensate, promote and train employees. It’s also illegal to discriminate against people who have complained about discrimination.

Most companies with 15 employees or more are legally obliged to follow the equal employment opportunity laws. These include:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
• The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
• Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
• The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA)

Also, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 gives the EEOC the authority to sue in federal court cases of unlawful, discriminatory employment practices.

For more details on what is an equal opportunity employer, read our EEO definition and learn the obligations and the exceptions that might impact your business.

To read this article in its entirety at www.resources.workable.com, click here.

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Local Celebrations
As recently as the 1970s, women’s history was virtually an unknown topic in the K-12 curriculum or in general public consciousness. To address this situation, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration for 1978.

The week March 8th, International Women’s Day, was chosen as the focal point of the observance. The local Women’s History Week activities met with enthusiastic response, and dozens of schools planned special programs for Women’s History Week. Over one-hundred community women participated by doing special presentations in classrooms throughout the country and an annual “Real Woman” Essay Contest drew hundreds of entries. The finale for the week was a celebratory parade and program held in the center of downtown Santa Rosa, California.

Mobilizing a Movement
In 1979, Molly Murphy MacGregor, a member of our group, was invited to participate in The Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, which was chaired by noted historian, Gerda Lerner and attended by the national leaders of organizations for women and girls. When the participants learned about the success of the Sonoma County’s Women’s History Week celebration, they decided to initiate similar celebrations within their own organizations, communities, and school districts. They also agreed to support an effort to secure a “National Women’s History Week.”

National Women’s History Month
By 1986, 14 states had already declared March as Women’s History Month. This momentum and state-by-state action was used as the rational to lobby Congress to declare the entire month of March 1987 as National Women’s History Month. In 1987, Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month in perpetuity. A special Presidential Proclamation is issued every year which honors the extraordinary achievements of American women.

To read this article in its entirety at naturalwomenshistoryalliance.com, click here.

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I‘ve always subscribed to the “pendulum theory” to help me navigate how things work in the world. I believe there is an inherent fluidity in the way all kinds of things ebb and flow to keep things balanced.

I adopted this belief fairly early in my life; I may have been about 12 years old. I was a child full of despair, and wanted my environment to be anything than what it was. Then one day, without me having a hand in it at all, it changed for the better. I learned at that time, if you wait long enough, everything changes, and that change is
really the only thing we can count on.

We have a choice in how we view what’s happening around us. We can choose to view any situation as one that’s continuously worsening and will continue to do so, or we can choose to recognize that all
situations are temporary…and ultimately the pendulum will swing in the other direction…that change is something we can count on.

When you feel yourself experiencing stress over the way lievolving, pause. Remind yourself that life is a pendulum and that it will reverse its current motion and move toward more favorable results.

The post The Pendulum Swing appeared first on EOE Journal.

An equal opportunity employer is a company that provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees regardless of race, religion, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. This includes providing fair wages and benefits as well as prohibiting discrimination in hiring and promotion decisions.

By being an equal opportunity employer, businesses can benefit from a more diverse workplace. This can bring increased productivity due to different perspectives working together and improved morale among employees. It also helps businesses stay compliant with state and federal laws that protect workers from discrimination.

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In  today’s world, technology has a distinct hold over daily lives, and my life is no exception. With instant dopamine hits whenever we look at our phones, unlimited social media platforms to peruse to make sure we haven’t missed something, and 15-second reels that can waste unlimited 15-second time banks in a row, maybe the start of a new year is a good time to do a “check in” and see what we might consider changing.

Dopamine is a brain chemical involved in reward, motivation, memory, and attention. When dopamine is released in large amounts, it creates feelings of pleasure and reward, which motivate you to repeat a specific behavior. Social media has that all figured out, and provides 24/7 access to dopamine hits.

The biggest question is, “Is scrolling the phone (possibly multiple hours a day) the healthiest way to spend our time?” I’m pretty sure the answer is no.

Can we generate our own dopamine? The answer is yes. Good food, exercise, sleeping well, going to the park, painting, looking at photo albums, singing, meditating. It can be a variety of things—everyone is a little different. But, whatever creates those feel-good chemicals in your head, note them down and make a promise to yourself to put your phone down and integrate it into your day. As you  make a list of your joys, add to it whenever you can. Learn the formula for your bliss.

For me, happiness is the ultimate goal. And I’m pretty sure it starts in daily choices, not lofty resolutions. Why not start today?

Lisa Petty, Editor

The post Checking In 2025 appeared first on EOE Journal.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — President Jimmy Carter will be remembered for many things, including his efforts to advance women and people of color.

Lonie Haynes models much of his work at Rochester Regional Health after the ideals of President Carter.

Carter instituted diversity, equity and inclusion appointments during his presidency before DEI was a thing.

The post ‘I’m standing on his shoulders’: Jimmy Carter’s legacy of cham­pi­oning diversity, equity and inclusion lives on appeared first on EOE Journal.

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by Candace Nortey SVP & Practice Leader, People & Culture Strategy, Slone Partners

There are not many other emerging trends in recent years that have captured the American public’s attention as much as diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts to transform organizations across the board. Indeed, D&I is now regarded as a key component of workplace and business strategy.

However, the 2023 SCOTUS decision on affirmative action in college admissions has left many companies uncertain about the future of their D&I efforts. This ruling has introduced confusion and raised concerns about potential legal risks, making some organizations question whether they should continue their commitment to D&I or scale back their initiatives.

As businesses navigate these complexities, the question arises: how can they foster greater buy-in, continue to enhance their diversity initiatives, and ensure a lasting future for D&I?

The Evolution of Diversity Programs

Diversity initiatives have long been part of the workplace, with data consistently demonstrating the positive impact of diverse teams. Once focused solely on hiring, D&I now touches every aspect of the employee experience and business operations. The events of 2020, including the Black Lives Matter movement and the pandemic’s impact on marginalized communities, accelerated this shift, prompting companies to take decisive action. Companies set ambitious goals, like diversifying Boards and C-suites and tying diversity metrics to performance. Recently, there’s been increased focus on gender identity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, neurodiversity, and intersectionality, reflecting the broader scope of today’s diversity efforts.

Why Keeping Programs Strong Matters

Despite economic uncertainty and shifting social climates, cutting back on D&I would be a short-sighted mistake. Fostering a culture where employees feel safe to be themselves leads to higher engagement, innovation, and overall success. Research consistently shows that diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones. A McKinsey study found that companies in the top quartile for gender and ethnic diversity are more likely to have above-average profitability.

To read this article in its entirety at www..buildingindiana.com, click here. 

The post The Inclusion Imperative: How to Lead the Next Chapter of Diversity & Inclusion appeared first on EOE Journal.

This is good news for firms that have invested in DEI in an authentic way, amidst a DEI backlash.

– Dr Grace Lordan

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within firms is linked with either positive or neutral firm performance outcomes, according to new LSE research.

Teresa Almeida and Dr Grace Lordan found that DEI is positively associated with long-term market valuation and innovation, suggesting that DEI initiatives can be of strategic importance for organisations. Furthermore, DEI appears to be unrelated to short-term financial metrics such as stock returns and profitability, indicating that DEI improvements do not come at the expense of short-term financial performance.

Companies, investors and policymakers are paying increasing attention to DEI. However, measuring its progress within firms and understanding its relationship with performance remains a challenge. Traditional methods often over-focus on demographic diversity or rely on self-reported information from firms.

To tackle this challenge, researchers have developed a new method to measure DEI, using employee reviews posted on Glassdoor, a leading career intelligence platform. This approach draws directly from employee experiences, based on an analysis of more than 3.2 million reviews from 945 companies across the UK and US.  It captures aspects of diversity, equity in terms of equalising access to opportunities and inclusion. Ms Almeida and Dr Lordan say this is a first step in measuring DEI at scale, beyond self-disclosed firm data or binary indicators such as whether a firm has a DEI policy.

Overall, the researchers find that their DEI proxy is associated with stronger long-term market performance, but not short-term market performance. Larger effects are found for growth firms. Furthermore, the study highlights that the positive effects of DEI on long-term market performance are amplified in firms with higher levels of ethnic diversity in senior management.

Dr Lordan, Director of The Inclusion Initiative at LSE, said: “We are essentially measuring the aspects of culture that relate to DEI using data external to the firm. Doing so, our work has uncovered a credible signal that predicts innovation and long run market performance that should interest investors. Our proxy is particularly strong for firms that are in their growth phase. Forthcoming work will demonstrate these links using a portfolio selection approach. For me this is good news for firms that have invested in DEI in an authentic way amidst a DEI backlash. For those investors who are sceptical about the link between DEI and firm outcomes I would ask them to call the proxy ‘X’ and consider its meaningfulness in the context of prediction.”

To read this article in its entirety at www.lse.ac.uk, click here.

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As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries and transform workplaces, it’s imperative that organizations and leaders examine not only its impact on productivity, innovation and economic gains, but also the ethical implications tied to these transformative technologies.

Integrating an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) lens into AI systems is no longer a luxury or optional. It’s essential to ensure AI benefits everyone, including equity-deserving groups such as women, Indigenous Peoples, people living with disabilities, Black and racialized people, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

Without this commitment, AI risks reinforcing the existing biases and inequalities, including those based on gender, race, sexual orientation, and visible and invisible disabilities. We already know the deep impact of AI on human resources and recruitment, but its impacts go beyond that.

While AI adoption gaps often dominate the conversation, equally critical are the ethical concerns surrounding its development and deployment. These issues have profound implications for leadership, trust and accountability. Leaders and organizations need greater supports, education and guidance to responsibly guide AI’s integration into the workplace.

The need for ethical AI

AI has the potential to shed light on and address systemic discrimination, but only if it’s designed and used ethically and inclusively. Machine learning algorithms learn patterns from large datasets, but these datasets often reflect existing biases and underrepresentation.

AI systems can inadvertently reinforce these biases. As a scholar and practitioner, I know that data is not neutral; it is shaped by the context — and the people — involved in its collection and analysis.

A clear example of this risk is Microsoft’s Tay Twitter chatbot, which began re-posting racist tweets and was shut down only 16 hours after its release. Tay was “learning” from its interactions with Twitter users.

Such incidents are not only damaging from a public relations angle, they can also affect employees, particularly those from marginalized communities, who may feel alienated or unsupported by their own organization’s technology.

To read this article in its entirety at theconversation.com, click here.

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