Workforce planning should include strategies to reduce litigation risks. Recent developments — including executive orders affecting inclusion and diversity (I&D) initiatives — have made policy updates, merit-based hiring, and targeted training more critical than ever.
According to SHRM, top litigation risks include retaliation claims tied to executive orders, whistleblower reports on artificial intelligence misuse, hybrid work enforcement complaints, and "reverse discrimination" claims.
Updated policies, comprehensive training, and thorough documentation are your best defenses against litigation. SHRM's Belonging Enhanced by Access through Merit (BEAM) Framework for I&D provides step-by-step guidance for designing compliant strategies from the ground up.
Training new employees during onboarding and offering regular refreshers helps prevent claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. However, outdated training can increase risk.
Joyce Chastain, an HR consultant with the employment law firm The Krizner Group in Tallahassee, Fla., notes a surge in age-related claims, often triggered by supervisors making comments like, "Have you thought about retirement?" rather than addressing performance issues directly.
Micro-learning — brief, practical modules that employees can complete during breaks — is proving effective at preventing such claims.
Luther Wright Jr., an attorney with...
“This has been one of the most difficult and traumatic periods of my life.” It’s pretty wild how quick a lawyer threatening a lawsuit can bring a person, company, whatever, to heel. And Ian Battri...