NATIONAL – FordHarrison LLP is pleased to announce that the firm’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Practice Group is implementing a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Audit (DEIA) Taskforce in an effort to get ahead of the movement to dismantle voluntary workplace diversity programs and guide employers through a proactive analysis of proposed and ongoing DEI programs and initiatives for compliance with federal, state and local employment laws.
“I am excited that FH has created a unique approach to help employers continue pushing diversity forward. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are high priorities for our clients and key components of a sustainable workforce,” said Dawn Siler-Nixon, FordHarrison’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Partner.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision in SFFA v. Harvard/UNC, Attorneys General from 13 states and United States Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas sent letters to business leaders, warning of potential legal risks associated with their Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) programs. Further, as anticipated, the American Alliance for Equal Rights has sued a minority-focused venture capital fund and multiple national law firms for purportedly unlawful racial discrimination stemming from their DEI initiatives. These developments have left many employers asking what this all means for their DEI programs.
To this end, the FH DEIA Taskforce has developed a unique menu of services to shore up employers’ DEI communications, policies and programs, the key element of which is an in-depth assessment of employers’ overall diversity initiatives. In addition, the FH DEIA Taskforce has collaborated with premier statistical experts to assist in implementing an analytical approach to the development and implementation of voluntary diversity goals, cultural climate surveys, privileged pay equity analyses, and other proven strategies.
The impact and challenges to DEI programs will likely continue for the foreseeable future. The FH DEIA Taskforce will provide clients with a resource of information on new case law, national and local changes in laws, rules or regulations, as well as practical guidance.
For more information on a menu of services to assist employers with the design, implementation and legal assessment of voluntary DEI initiatives, please click here.
For more information on FordHarrison’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Audit (DEIA) Taskforce, please click here.