Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be an incredible tool that helps power an organization’s capacity as it designs, develops, and implements robust and effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies and initiatives. AI has valuable DEI applications throughout the organization’s operations and across the employee lifecycle. There are, however, numerous challenges to effectively applying AI in DEI work.

In today’s environment, ERGs are under fire. Critics of ERGs describe them as unnecessary, exclusionary, and discriminatory; they argue that ERGs offer employees who share certain characteristic advantages in terms of professional development and career advancement, and that employees who do not share that characteristic are denied those opportunities. In response, some organizations have shut their ERGs down. Other organizations have taken a different approach, keeping their ERGs going but making them open to all employees.

While much of the focus in current discourse has centered around the risks of continuing DEI efforts, a new report from the NYU School of Law Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging and Catalyst shows that there are also significant risks to retreating from DEI.

Michelle Bogan Feferman, Founder & CEO of Equity At Work™, was interviewed as part of the NTT Experience Center Podcast Series on AI Innovation. Watch and listen to the podcast here.

Across the US, ICE raids have caused fear among many workers. Even those who are legal citizens are in fear of being wrongfully taken by ICE, and there is additional fear for family members and friends who may not be legal citizens at this time.

In the last two newsletters, we have shared about the challenges presented in today’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion environment. It seems like the only constant is change, and that can cause a feeling of whiplash. We recommended starting by optimizing what you already have in place and then shoring up your DEI business case. The third step is to ensure that you have effective internal communications.

With all the whiplash in the US related to DEI, it can be hard to know what to focus on right now that will bring your organization value. When you provide clarity on what you are achieving through your DEI work, a lot of the noise about DEI automatically fades into the background.

The current environment around DEI is marked by a pronounced level of uncertainty, which can cause a kind of paralysis to set in - unsure of where we stand and with the future unclear, what do we even do?

The following best practices are learnings from all of my years of doing DEI work.  They are the tried-and-true methods that form the foundation of all of Equity At Work™’s work.

Late last week, the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, based in Virginia, allowed the Trump Administration to enforce two of its Executive Orders related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Organizations funded by and/or doing business with the federal government will need to ensure that all of their DEI programs and initiatives are compliant with all federal anti-discrimination laws.

There has been so much activity in the DEI space that it is challenging to know which path forward is right for your organization.

In the first two weeks of the Trump administration’s second term, a number of Executive Orders have come out taking aim at DEI. We want to make sure everyone understands what these Orders do and do not mean for DEI in the workplace.

Many of the clients we work with, like many organizations overall, strive to have a workforce that is representative of the communities in which they operate. In discovery meetings, we often hear that a top priority is to implement or improve upon efforts to recruit diverse talent. But starting with recruiting diverse talent is a mistake.

Each organization’s foundational culture should also prioritize mental health and well-being. A culture committed to fostering positive mental health and well-being allows employees to bring their whole selves to work - including the personal and professional stressors they are facing - and find an environment that wants to support them and set them up for success in the workplace.

While some of the current noise around DEI is just noise, and while we can feel comforted by the majority of leaders who remain committed to DEI, it can still be challenging to lead DEI efforts. This is especially true when we encounter resistance, possibly from team members who are feeling emboldened by the current political climate and who are feeling seen by the loud voices currently criticizing any and all DEI efforts.

In the US, we have just completed a polarizing presidential race, and many in the DEI world are feeling unsure of what the next four years hold. While we certainly have heard a lot of anti-DEI rhetoric during this time, it is impossible to know how much of that will turn into action against DEI, and what form that will take.

Today is Election Day in the United States, and we at Equity At Work encourage everyone to vote.

We also encourage all workplaces to support their workers in ensuring they are able to vote - two common options are to give employees the day off for voting or to provide time throughout the day where employees can go to their polling place.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is too often seen as a controversial topic, and detractors usually offer arguments that do not actually hold up under scrutiny. Here are 15 top myths about DEI, along with commentary on how to address them in the workplace.