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Lawyers at RDJ have highlighted the risks posed to Irish employers by US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on DEI (diversity, equality, and inclusion) programmes.
They note that US corporations such as McDonalds, Walmart, and Amazon have dropped or curtailed their DEI policies in response to three executive orders on the issue signed by Trump.
The RDJ lawyers also note that several law firms who were investigated by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pledged to provide pro bono legal services to the Trump administration, on the condition that further claims made against the firms by the commission relating to diversity would be withdrawn.
In Ireland, the firm highlights a recent survey carried out by Expleo, which found that 43% of large enterprises in Ireland had experienced employee resignations due to recent changes in their DEI policies.
According to the survey, 49% of large enterprises said that they were increasing their DEI commitment, but 42% felt there was too much focus being placed on it.
The RDJ lawyers point out that the survey took place against a backdrop of “plentiful regulatory and statutory DEI safeguards” that continue to be strengthened, with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the EU Pay Transparency Directive due to be implemented into Irish law in the near future.
They list the existing suite of DEI-linked obligations that permeate all aspects of employment law in Ireland –...
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