HR Brew // Morning Brew // Update

DEI

An evolution, not revolution

Anna Kim

The campaign to dismantle modern DEI initiatives has accelerated since 2023, when the Supreme Court abolished affirmative action in university admissions. Since then, Robby Starbuck, Elon Musk, and President Trump, among others on the right, have made DEI the boogeyman and central talking point in their argument against what they view as “wokeism” in the workplace.

As a result, a number of companies have changed their approach to DEI. Some have eliminated their DEI teams, while others have evolved their terminology. Several companies, including consulting firms with large government contracts, have cited Trump’s executive orders as their reason for pulling back. Many employees and consumers, meanwhile, haven’t been happy about the changes: Since rolling back its DEI initiative earlier this year, Target has faced backlash, including a boycott that’s taken a toll on its foot traffic, Retail Brew reported.

HR Brew analyzed the companies that have so far announced changes to their approach to DEI, and found many commonalities. Several, including Walmart, Google, and Pfizer, have changed their DEI terminology, while others, like Meta and Boeing, have dissolved their DEI teams.

For more on how employers are responding to the ongoing debate, check out our tracker.—KP

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TOTAL REWARDS

Two roads diverged

Illustration: Anna Kim, Photos: Getty Images

It’s well known that full-time working women in the US earn less than their male counterparts, bringing in 83 cents on the dollar, on average.

The gap is even wider when accounting for women in part-time roles, a new report from the McKinsey Global Institute finds, with women earning 27% less than men by the 10th year of their career, or 73 cents on the dollar.

MGI researchers identified two factors that explain most of this pay gap: lost time and differing career trajectories. To mitigate this trend, HR leaders should be transparent with workers about how certain career decisions may affect their salary potential, and focus on creating an organizational culture that promotes internal mobility, a lead author of the report told HR Brew.

For more on why women’s earnings lag behind men’s, and what HR can do, keep reading here.—CV

Together With Traliant

Do you comply? Traliant’s legal and compliance experts are dishing on how the new presidential administration’s actions can impact compliance policies and training. It’s all happening in this webinar, and you can save your seat for it now. Come ready with q’s; Traliant has your a’s. Attendance also creates eligibility for SHRM and HRCI credits.

HR STRATEGY

EuroWork

The top of a globe with a phone, notebook, laptop, glasses, iPad and coffee cup floating above it

Francis Scialabba

While employees in Europe are largely happy at work, their country, location flexibility, and age all play a part in their overall worker satisfaction, a recent report found.

Great Place to Work, a workplace culture index, recently released its first European Workforce Study. The organization surveyed roughly 25,000 employees across 19 countries.

Overall, employees in Italy and Greece reported the lowest worker satisfaction, with just 43% and 44% of respondents, respectively, calling their company a great place to work. Employees in Denmark and Norway, meanwhile, reported 75% and 73% satisfaction. The authors noted that employee satisfaction has a direct impact on productivity, and productivity levels mirrored satisfaction numbers.

For more on the factors that can affect employee satisfaction, keep reading here.—KP

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For the betterment of benefits. Unpacking an employee benefits package doesn’t have to be confusing, thanks to generative AI. WEX’s new guide covers everything you need to know from A to Z—from AI-driven personalization to zero-touch benefit enrollment. Download the guide here.

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WORK PERKS

A desktop computer plugged into a green couch.

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Nearly three in 10 (31%) US employees say they’ve felt excluded at work in the last five years. (Traliant)

Quote: “If you don’t have growth opportunities, that completely reduces motivation. You’re just going through the motions.”—Allison Task, a New Jersey-based career coach, on the career stagnation and uncertainty that many white-collar workers are feeling (Bloomberg)

Read: Focusing on generational divides could harm workplace culture. (Fortune)

High-volume hiring: See how Compass Group’s 20 recruiters made 160,000 annual hires with the help of conversational AI from Paradox. Download the full report from The Josh Bersin Company for all the deets.*

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