Tag: dei
Disability in the workplace is an extremely complex topic that can often be intimidating for both employers and employees to approach. Disability is a protected characteristic under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, while... View Article
Discrimination and Harassment are broad topics that touch multiple HR functions, and that also must be considered by non-HR supervisors and even employees with no supervisory responsibility. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines harassment and discrimination as follows: Harassment – Unwelcome conduct based on one or more protected classes wherein enduring the offensive conduct... View Article
Higher ed institutions know how critical it is to have a diverse workforce, equitable hiring and compensation practices, and an inclusive work environment for all. Yet this work can be daunting for HR teams who don’t know where to start. After all, improving DEI for faculty and staff doesn’t have a one-time quick-fix solution —... View Article
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), is a federal law that protects and supports the employment and re-employment of persons who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard or other “uniformed services”. USERRA prohibits employers from discriminating against a person based on past military service, current military obligations,... View Article
Rob Keel, policy analyst and HR communication specialist at Motlow State Community College and a 2019-20 CUPA-HR Wildfire program participant, highlights takeaways from the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change Conference to help higher ed HR pros become better resources and advocates for the LGBTQ communities on their campuses. In January 2020, I traveled from... View Article
HR and higher education professionals may be more at risk for developing symptoms of anxiety or depression, due to the nature of their work, which often includes making difficult and sometimes painful decisions. Institutions and individuals can mitigate this risk by proactively arming themselves with the tools, knowledge and strategies that support mental health and... View Article
Have you ever heard someone at your institution say to a person of color, “When I look at you, I don’t see color?” Microaggressions such as this “colorblind” statement may not mean to intentionally demean the recipient, but intentional or not, it denies a person of color’s racial or ethnic experiences. Microaggressions were a common... View Article
Which of the following statements are true for higher education? Black employees are underrepresented in administrative and faculty positions, the positions with the highest pay. Most Black higher education employees are in staff positions, the positions with the lowest pay and lowest pay equity. When Black employees hold administrative positions, they are paid less relative... View Article
In recent weeks, we’ve highlighted key takeaways from CUPA-HR’s town hall meeting, Partners in Justice — We Will Not Be Silent! Leaning into uncomfortable conversations to help lead the charge for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and addressing systemic racism and inequality on the individual, team and organizational levels are just two of the “nuggets”... View Article
“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” This sobering statement echoed throughout CUPA-HR’s recent town hall meeting, where higher ed HR panelists discussed how to tackle systemic racism on campus and urged higher ed HR pros to challenge leaders and rethink policies and procedures that perpetuate ongoing inequalities and create barriers to inclusivity. Panelists shared these three... View Article
The tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks and too many others have prompted a flood of angry voices demanding justice and radical change. Many of us have joined those voices in our communities. As higher ed HR leaders committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), we are also uniquely positioned... View Article
CUPA-HR Partners in Justice — We Will Not Be Silent! A Virtual Town Hall | Monday, June 22 | 3:00-4:30 p.m. EDT Watch the Recording This recording is a CUPA-HR member resource. The nation is talking about race — specifically the systems in place that perpetuate racial inequalities and injustice, and the heavy toll it... View Article
Like millions of Americans, my heart aches and I have no words to adequately express my anger, my sadness or my frustration regarding the recent events that have shaken our country. Members of our national board recently shared the following questions. How do we help our campuses become stronger as a result of this turmoil?... View Article
In the last decade, much emphasis has been placed on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in higher education, but efforts are often focused on the student population rather than the higher ed workforce. In a recent CUPA-HR webinar, Jackie Bichsel, director of research at CUPA-HR, shared that the current COVID-19 crisis has shed even more... View Article
On September 24, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Executive Order (EO) 11246 to provide equal employment opportunity. The Department of Labor was tasked with administration of EO 11246. The Secretary of Labor, Willard Wirtz, established the Office of Federal Contract Compliance to administer the order’s non-discrimination and affirmative action provisions. Now, the OFCC is known... View Article
The Americans with Disabilities Act, also known as the ADA, prohibits discrimination against individuals on the basis of disability. An amendment to the ADA, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), clarified that a disability is a mental or physical condition or impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities or bodily functions,... View Article
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. It does not protect workers under the age of 40, although some states do have laws that protect younger workers from age discrimination. The ADEA applies to employers with 20 or... View Article
Few pieces of legislation have had a more profound effect on U.S. society, and especially the world of work, than the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The landmark legislation set standards for equity, protection and rights regardless of an individual’s gender, race, color, religion or national origin, not only in the workplace but in schools,... View Article
A strong and positive workplace culture supports the educational mission of the institution as well as its values. Like society as a whole, campus communities that represent a range of cultural differences and life experiences enhance the educational experiences of students and create opportunities for faculty and staff to grow both personally and professionally. Creating... View Article
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 prohibits group health plans and health insurers from denying coverage to a healthy individual or charging that person higher premiums based solely on a genetic predisposition to developing a disease in the future. The legislation also bars employers from using individuals’ genetic information when making hiring, firing, job placement... View Article
Gender identity refers to the perception an individual holds of their intrinsic self, and can include the categories of male, female, both or neither. Individuals whose perception and/or expression of this self differ from expected cultural norms based on sex assigned at birth are often referred to as transgendered, though they may also use terms... View Article
The Veterans’ Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) are two federal statutes passed with the intent of supporting veterans in the workplace through increased emphasis on the hiring and development of covered employees. Along with USERRA, VOW and VEVRAA prohibit discrimination based on past, present or potential... View Article
Pregnancy discrimination involves treating an applicant or an employee unfavorably because of a pregnancy, the potential for pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth. Discrimination is most often seen in an employer’s perception of the pregnant worker’s inability to work but in some cases, an employer may discriminate against an employee’s ability to work (such... View Article
Religion is a protected characteristic under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, making discrimination and harassment based on religious practice, expression or beliefs illegal. Under Title VII, the term “religion” simply means a sincerely held belief. According to the EEOC: "Religion includes not only traditional, organized religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism,... View Article
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