Affinity groups, also known as employee resource groups, have been a popular tool for companies to meet diversity and inclusion goals by helping to attract, retain and develop women, minorities, and other underrepresented protected groups in the corporate hierarchy. Recent estimates have shown that up to 90% of Fortune 500 corporations utilize affinity groups to promote a more inclusive and diverse work environment. Other benefits of affinity groups for corporations include employee mentorship opportunities, the exchange of ideas, suggestions to improve company culture, and increased employee morale by displaying company support for employees’ voices and interests.
Continue Reading To Affinity and Beyond: A Look at Legal Risks and Recent Trends in Corporate Affinity Groups
Employers – Don’t Let Your Emojis Get the Best of You
Emojis and emoticons, which we all use to add flavor and emotion to dry, text based communication on our phones, emails, or Facebook messages, have become points of contention in a variety of legal disputes. (For those of us not in the know, emoticons are created from a standard computer keyboard while emojis are more commonly used when texting or using social media.) This phenomenon should not be too surprising, as there are now an estimated 2,600 emojis (and counting) and they are so commonly used that emojis even had their own feature film this summer, The Emoji Movie (albeit to questionable reviews).
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What’s in a Name? Ask Robert Lee
Instead of covering the top sports headlines of the day, ESPN has once again made the headlines and found itself embroiled in controversy. This time, the network removed a broadcaster from the September 2 football game between the Virginia Cavaliers and William & Mary set to play in Charlottesville, Virginia. It did so because his name is Robert Lee. He is Asian American.
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