Executive Order 13950 first made waves in September, with concerns that its stated goal of stamping out “offensive and anti-American race and sex stereotyping and scapegoating” might curtail federal contractors’ ability to provide diversity workplace trainings. After publishing guidance clarifying the particulars of the Executive Order and launching a hotline to receive complaints, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is now seeking comments, information and materials from the public regarding potentially noncompliant trainings. The agency’s Request for Information was published in the Federal Register on October 21, 2020.
New California Laws for 2021: What Employers Should Know
Several new laws in California impact employers in a multitude of operational areas. From leave regulations to workers’ compensation, safety enforcement, wages and more, business leaders have much to research when it comes to compliance. All employers with operations in California should be aware of these new laws, understand how these laws may affect their operations and consult with counsel to address any questions on these new obligations.
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Hostile Environment Claims in a Work-From-Home World
The work-from-home trend presents a host of employment law challenges, including unavoidable changes to how employers investigate and defend claims of hostile work environments. Non-traditional work settings may even give rise to new types of harassment and discrimination, challenging employers to rethink workplace policies and training to make sure they apply to all work environments, whether in the office or remote.
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OFCCP Issues FAQs on Executive Order Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has issued nine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to address Executive Order 13950, which is intended “to combat offensive and anti-American race and sex stereotyping and scapegoating.” The FAQs include a range of topics — from the effective date of the Executive Order and examples of race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating, to how to file a complaint for unlawful training programs.
For the full alert, visit the Faegre Drinker website.
Lynne Anderson Comments on California Law Requiring Employers to Report Pay Info by Gender and Race
In the article “California Steps Up to Collect Pay Data, With Feds at Square One,” Bloomberg Law reports on new California legislation that authorizes a collection of wage data, broken down by race, sex, ethnicity, and job category, on or before March 31, 2021.
The legal industry publication turned to labor and employment partner Lynne Anderson for insight on the law and whether other states may follow suit.
Update: California Leads the Way for Pay Data Collection and Reporting
On September 30, 2020, California Governor Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 973, which requires California private employers with 100 or more employees to submit an annual pay data report to the state’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing beginning on March 31, 2021. See our previous alert for additional details. We recommend that employers with 100 or more employees in California work with legal counsel as soon as possible to conduct privileged pay audits prior to collecting pay data and submitting the report to California.