DEI Policies and Practices Review

The current public discourse around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) policies as well as new federal guidelines have made this area a challenging one for companies as they seek to create and maintain workforce policies and practices that help find the best talent and drive inclusivity while also remaining compliant with federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws. With years of compliance expertise, our team can help. We work with companies to

- Assess current DEI policies and practices both in light of current federal guidelines and more holistically.
- Evaluate internal and external communications related to DEI efforts.
- Ensure implementation of written programs and policies by managers and senior leadership is compliant and consistent with your internal objectives and applicable law.

- Evaluate current training related to DEI and equal employment opportunity.
- Implement best practices for recruitment, hiring, employee engagement and retention.

Get In Touch

Key Contacts

Victoria A. Lipnic

Partner Washington, DC

Margo Pave

Director Washington, DC

EEOC RACE/ETHNIC IDENTIFICATION CATEGORIES

Hispanic or Latino

A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

White (Not Hispanic or Latino)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Black or African American (Not Hispanic or Latino)

A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (Not Hispanic or Latino)

A person having origins in any of the peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Asian (Not Hispanic or Latino)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

American Indian or Alaska Native (Not Hispanic or Latino)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Two or More Races (Not Hispanic or Latino)

All persons who identify with more than one of the above five races.

Individual with a disability (under ADAAA) means any person who:

has an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
a record of such an impairment, or
being regarded as having such an impairment
includes any impairment that is episodic or in remission if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active
prohibits consideration of the ameliorative effects of “mitigating measures” when assessing whether an impairment substantially limits a person’s major life activities, with one exception

QUALIFIED VETERAN:

A “disabled veteran” is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or show citation box or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

“Other protected veterans” means veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. military during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge is awarded.