Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists


  • A young Black girl during the March for Jobs and Freedom to the Lincoln Memorial
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    MPI via Getty Images
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    This summer saw many DEI rollbacks. What now?

    Heading into 2025, three DEI experts weigh in.

    Caroline Colvin • Oct. 9, 2024
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    Xavier Arnau via Getty Images
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    No, not all companies are abandoning diversity, equity and inclusion. Here’s why.

    Amid a high-profile backlash, many businesses are scrutinizing their policies. But the vast majority end up sticking with DEI, in part because it’s key to growth.

    Daphne Howland • Sept. 23, 2024
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    What employers can expect following the end of Chevron deference

    For one thing, the U.S. Department of Labor’s regulations may not fare well under federal courts’ scrutiny post-Chevron, a former DOL official told HR Dive.

    Ryan Golden • July 17, 2024
  • A storefront with riding mowers, wheelbarrows and other garden equipment out front.
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    Courtesy of Tractor Supply
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    Tractor Supply may have thought it solved a big problem. Now it has a few more.

    The retailer retreated from its diversity and climate goals after an “anti-woke” protest on social media — and ignited a backlash.

    Daphne Howland • July 11, 2024
  • A young marcher during the March for Jobs and Freedom
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    MPI via Getty Images
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    Celebrating 60 years: A visual history of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

    The landmark legislation shields employees from discrimination in the workplace.

    Ginger Christ and Shaun Lucas • July 2, 2024
  • In a black and white photo, Lyndon B. Johnson sits in the foreground signing the Civil Rights Act, surrounded by Martin Luther King Jr. and dozens of politicians.
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    Stoughton, Cecil. (1964). Retrieved from Wikipedia Commons.
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    Title VII’s future will be shaped by AI, recent SCOTUS rulings, attorneys say

    The law’s anti-discrimination provisions remain a topic of complex debate, and sources who spoke to HR Dive expect the conversation to carry on well into the next several years.

    Ryan Golden • July 1, 2024
  • A white sign with black text reading 'Compass Coffee' in front of and below a lighted neon saying reading 'Georgetown'
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    Aneurin Canham-Clyne/HR Dive
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    Compass Coffee responds to union drive with mass hiring

    The union plans to challenge the voter eligibility of scores of workers the Washington, D.C.-based chain added to its roster ahead of a scheduled mid-July election.

    Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 1, 2024
  • A person holds a cappuccino from The Wydown inside The Apollo on H Street NE.
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    The image by Ted Eytan is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    Workers at DC’s Wydown cafes got organized. Then they lost everything.

    The owners of the two-unit coffee chain shut down operations in the middle of a union drive, leaving workers fighting for severance.

    Aneurin Canham-Clyne • May 30, 2024
  • A Black worker wearing a McDonald's visor, with expresive eyes; they hold up an sign with the image of Ronald McDonald. It says, "Times Up, Clown."
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    ‘Quiet on Set’ highlighted sexual assault of minors in Hollywood. But this workplace issue hits close to home, too.

    It’s easy for employers to think a strong HR department is fungible, an EEOC official said, “but it's absolutely necessary for a company to survive.”

    Caroline Colvin • May 6, 2024
  • Two people reading a document in an industrial workplace setting.
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    Permission granted by JBM Packaging
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    Second chance hiring can bridge labor gaps, break employment barriers

    Although some companies say they initially hire formerly incarcerated individuals to overcome a labor shortage, these programs can lead to less employee churn, lower recidivism and life-changing impact, advocates say.

    Katie Pyzyk • May 1, 2024
  • A woman engineer uses a digital tablet to work on car design and improvements.
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    gorodenkoff via Getty Images
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    Why aren’t more women joining automotive manufacturing?

    As gender diversity remains an industry challenge, experts say companies can help tackle the problem by expanding child care options and prioritizing career development and mentorship. 

    Megan Ruggles • April 19, 2024
  • A feminine person uses a handsander to smooth out some medium-toned wood
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    EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER via Getty Images
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    How two women in a male-dominated field found their voice

    Freya Hannah and María García Osés became empowered working at wood supplier Garnica, and their stories have lessons for HR experts looking to help women carve a career path.

    Caroline Colvin • March 27, 2024
  • Multiple pedestrians and cyclists cross at an intersection with designated crosswalk lanes. In the background a sign reads, "Seattle Children's Hospital, Emergency, Main Entrance, River Parking.."
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    Retrieved from Adam Coppola.
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    Cars are king of the commute. But employers may have a once-in-a-generation chance to change that.

    A perhaps overlooked element of the return-to-office conversation: How employees get to work in the first place.

    Ryan Golden, Shaun Lucas and Julia Himmel • Updated March 26, 2024
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Johnson & Johnson drug benefits suit ‘absolutely’ a wake-up call for employers, exec says

    Employer health plans are being held to account for drug costs, but they may lack key information when negotiating with pharmacy benefit managers and similar intermediaries.

    Ryan Golden • Feb. 29, 2024
  • Five people (Tonya Lewis Lee, Omari Maynard, Bruce McIntyre III, Shawnee Benton Gibson and Dr. Neel Shah) sit on stage with microphones.
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    Paras Griffin via Getty Images
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    Why giving birth is so dangerous for Black people — and how employers can help

    Connecting pregnant workers with supporters who fiercely advocate for their health and interests may improve outcomes and allow employees to focus on what matters.

    Emilie Shumway • Feb. 28, 2024
  • Two Black people — one with an afro, one with braids — pose for a studio portrait with a light brown background
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    Delmaine Donson via Getty Images
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    Why Black hair remains a DEI battleground

    Experts in employment law, psychology and DEI data spoke to HR Dive about the cultural importance of Black hair.

    Caroline Colvin • Feb. 14, 2024
  • Graduates receive a certificate at the university
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    Rattankun Thongbun/iStock via Getty Images
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    As states drop degree requirements, employers still seek out college grads

    Although new policies are propping up workers without degrees, experts say higher education will continue to play a role in hiring decisions and pay rates.

    Danielle McLean • Feb. 8, 2024
  • Amazon associates work to ship out same day orders during Cyber Monday at the Same-Day Delivery Facility Fulfillment Center on November 27, 2023 in Tampa, Florida.
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    Octavio Jones via Getty Images
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    Warehouse employment keeps falling — and more layoffs loom

    Companies are shifting their focus from expansion to efficiency within their supply chain networks, leading to job cuts and facility closures.

    Max Garland • Jan. 26, 2024
  • Two tech office workers walk down a hall looking at a laptop.
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    Hxyume via Getty Images
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    5 trends that will shape HR in 2024

    Artificial intelligence and the return-to-office debate will persist, but so will more understated storylines — like the dreaded “panini squeeze” faced by middle managers.

    Ryan Golden • Jan. 8, 2024
  • An employee checks through inventory at the Central Texas Food Bank.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    How employers tackle the social determinants of work

    Companies are seeing workers more holistically and looking for ways to meet them where they are.

    Ginger Christ • Dec. 5, 2023
  • Tents line a street in front of high-rise buildings
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    How organizations bridge the gap between employers and those experiencing homelessness

    For many who have experienced homelessness, finding a job is a bigger challenge than simply putting in an application.

    Ginger Christ • Nov. 7, 2023
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    4 mistakes to avoid when calling employees back to the office

    Most employers plan to implement a return-to-office plan by the end of 2024, a survey found, but there are a number of pitfalls into which HR could stumble.

    Ryan Golden • Oct. 2, 2023
  • An image of a laminated card, featuring a working woman, on the table
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    Caroline Colvin / HR Dive/HR Dive
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    Working parents need a village — and employers must be part of it, advocates say

    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, local government officials and the DOL women’s bureau chief spoke at the National Maternal & Infant Health Summit.

    Caroline Colvin • Sept. 21, 2023
  • A wide-angle shot of a Black business person using their smartphone while sitting on a round yellow sofa in office coworking area
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    skyNext via Getty Images
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    Successful return-to-office policies include engagement strategy, too

    Two HR experts talk to HR Dive about RTO best practices.

    Caroline Colvin • Sept. 15, 2023
  • IT service desk worker graphic illustrating a search box and telephone on an orange background
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    Vnoam3d via Getty Images
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    Generative AI’s momentum casts uncertainty over the future of the IT service desk

    Experts wonder what role these tier one technologists will play in IT departments moving forward, even if analysts say fears of imminent job loss are overblown.

    Lindsey Wilkinson • Aug. 21, 2023