Diversity Briefings Newsletter, Nov. 18, 2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/18/2010

Volume 1, Issue 21. Published Each Monday - Friday

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings

Today's issue is really brief. My apologies. We will be back in full force tomorrow.

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

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Justice Department Announces Settlement of Litigation with AMC Entertainment Inc.
The Justice Departent today announced a settlement agreement with AMC Entertainment Incl to resolve a lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit challenged, among other things, the design of stadium-style movie theaters that fail to provide persons who use wheelchairs with comparable lines of sight to those of other moviegoers. AMC is the second largest movie theater chain in the country with about 5,300 screens. “Going to the movies is an archetypal American leisure activity,” said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for civil rights. “We are pleased that AMC is taking steps to provide persons who use wheelchairs with access to the enhanced viewing experience of stadium-style theaters.”
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/November/10-crt-1319.html
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Suit says ethnic stereotypes in nursing textbook
(Reuters) - Do many African Americans tend to be high-keyed, animated, confrontational and interpersonal? Are men of Japanese heritage presumed incapable of managing their day-to-day affairs? Are Cubans particularly sexually attracted to the overweight? A former nursing professor at the University of Central Florida says she was fired in 2008 after refusing to use a textbook, "Guide to Culturally Competent Health Care" by Larry Purnell and Betty Paulanka, containing descriptions like these.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AH4OO20101118
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Senator pushes for vote on gender discrimination treaty
From Robert Koeni, St. Louis Beacon, Washington correspondent: When Linda Tarr-Whelan was President Jimmy Carter's White House assistant for women's issues in 1980, she and her 12-year-old daughter were thrilled when he signed an international pact called the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (called CEDAW). This year, that daughter celebrated her 42nd birthday, and Tarr-Whelan's 12-year-old granddaughter was assigned to write a school paper about why the U.S. Senate had never ratified the treaty, which affirms principles of human rights and equality for women -- even though 186 of 193 countries have done so.
http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politics/280-washington/106408-durbin-pushes-for-vote-on-gender-discrimination-treaty
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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment
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Diversity Briefings Newsletter, Nov. 15, 2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/15/2010

Volume 1, Issue 18. Published Each Monday - Friday

Today’s New Diversity Topics: Shirley Sherrod, Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., Distinguished Dialogue Event - American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. Reports on Cross-Generational Engagement in the Workplace - Group Alleges Discrimination Against Blind - Hate-crime Law Called Ineffective - Culture of Bullying: Loss of Civility at School, Work, Politics - Ernst & Young Leader Says Global Diversity Drives Revenue - Brief History of Multicultural Education  - Too Sensual For Promotion? - Even When Minorities Are At Their ‘Best,’ Another Set Of Rules Applies + Today's Diversity Management Briefing
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Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!
Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. Free gift offer inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
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Shirley Sherrod and Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., Distinguished Dialogue Event
The American Institute for Managing Diversity Hosts an Evening Reception with Shirley Sherrod and Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. on December 8, 2010. Emory University Law School,Tull Auditorium.
--Dr. Thomas writes: “During the 25 plus years I have been active in the diversity arena, many have asked, “How can we achieve a society with communities and organizations that move beyond race?” Shirley Sherrod’s story provides a case study of how one person got over her racial animosities and developed a capability to serve non-discriminately with respect to race. Yet, as her story has unfolded, relatively little attention has been paid to her reconciliation process.” Registration information at
http://www.aimd.org/index.php
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American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. Reports on Cross-Generational Engagement in the Workplace
The demographics of organizations continue to change over the years due to the entrance of younger workers and delayed retirement of older workers. As a result, organizations must effectively manage the existence of four different generational groups with divergent work ethics, values, expectations and behaviors. AIMD has culled through an array of research and diversity literature to produce two user friendly reports on approaches and practices that help foster effective cross-generational engagement.
http://www.aimd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=85
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Group Alleges Discrimination Against Blind
DUQ News reports: The National Federation of the Blind has filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education claiming that Penn State University discriminates against blind students and faculty. The advocacy group alleges that various university computer and technology based services and websites are inaccessible to the blind. The organization says there are text-to-speech programs and other tools to make the services accessible but Penn State has not used them.
http://wduqnews.blogspot.com/2010/11/group-alleges-discrimination-against.html
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Revised hate-crime law criticized as ineffective
Chron National reports: WASHINGTON — No one has been brought to trial or convicted under an amended federal hate crimes law in the year since it was expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity.The Department of Justice reports there are about 76 such cases pending across the country, a category that includes anything from an investigation to an indictment. Some gay and civil rights groups say the law has proved ineffective.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/7293936.html
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Culture of Bullying: Loss of Civility at School, Work, Politics
DiversityInc reports: "In today's America, incivility is on prominent display: in the schools, where bullying is pervasive; in the workplace, where an increasing number are more stressed out by coworkers than their jobs; on the roads, where road rage maims and kills; in politics, where strident intolerance takes the place of earnest dialogue; and on the web, where many check their inhibitions at the digital door," says Pier M. Forni, author of "The Civility Solution: What to Do When People are Rude" and director of The Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
http://diversityinc.com/article/8105/The-Culture-of-Bullying-Loss-of-Civility-at-School-Work-Politics/
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Ernst & Young Leader Says Global Diversity Drives Revenue
“Cultures will change, but this can't be an exporting of an American culture, a British culture, or a French culture to anywhere else. This has to be an evolution of a culture on its own. I always say to our people around the world that if we are leading that cultural change within each geography, then we're doing the right thing. If we try to be too far out ahead of it, that's not going to work.” From an interview with Jim Turley, chairman and CEO of Ernst &Young, reported by DiversityInc.
http://diversityinc.com/article/8092/CEO-Chat-EYs-Leader-Tells-How-Global-Diversity-Drives-Revenue/
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A Brief History of Multicultural Education
Paul C. Gorski, Hamline University and EdChange writes: “As conceptualizations of multicultural education evolve and diversify, it is important to revisit its historical foundation -- the roots from which it sprang. What did the earliest forms of multicultural education look like and what social conditions gave rise to them? What educational traditions and philosophies provided the framework for the development of multicultural education? How has multicultural education changed since its earliest conceptualization? The answers to these questions provide an important contextual grounding for understanding the various models of multicultural education evolving today.”
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/edchange_history.html
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“Too Sensual For Promotion?” Fired Employee Claims Harassment, Sues
Former Devereux Foundation employee, Amy-Erin Blakely, is alleging she was fired because she complained she was being harassed when she reportedly was told she was "too sensual" for promotion. Blakely is now suing the company, saying that for the six years she worked there she felt harassed and humiliated. She also said she was reprimanded for filing an initial complaint after she was told that male colleagues were distracted in meetings because of her "large breasts." She said that it was when she complained for a second time that she was fired. Devereux Foundation says the lawsuit is "purposefully inflammatory," and does not "represent the truth about our organization." Read more:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/12/too-sensual-for-promotion-amy-erin-blakely-sues-employer-for-harassment/#ixzz15N4FaMZT
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Even When Minorities Are At Their ‘Best,’ Another Set Of Rules Applies
The idea of Black Faces in White Places isn't just a numbers game. It is "about pursuing greatness in ways that leverage your culture and ethnicity as assets, not as liabilities," the authors say. The conventional wisdom passed down that blacks must work twice as hard as their white counterparts isn't completely off the mark, they say. But these strategies aren't enough. Among the strategies they map out is No. 3: Demonstrate excellence. “This may sound obvious, but the challenge is that American society tells us that we will be rewarded for being our best, but sometimes when we are the best, another set of rules based on nepotism, cronyism, or some arbitrary criteria seems to apply. And the way it plays out can be subtle,” says business scholar Jeffrey Robinson.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/workplace/kay/2010-11-15-black-faces-in-white-places_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
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Managing Diversity: Success With Diversity, Globalization Means Cutting Through Communication Noise
"You're kidding me. I can't graduate unless I take a speech class? But my major is engineering." Sue isn't happy after learning about this added requirement. "It is going to cost me time and money - something I am almost out of since you keep increasing my class requirements and my tuition keeps going up," she complains to her academic advisor.
--"Is this speech class really necessary?" Like Sue, many students are not happy about taking a speech class, especially if they in an "unrelated" field. Besides time and money, fear can be another factor. (Who among us can say they were not scared stiff to give their first public speech?)
--Yet, with increased globalization and diversity, the need to learn as much as possible about communication and cross-cultural communication before taking a first job, and throughout one's professional career, is becoming more and more apparent.
--If Sue's academic counselor is at all communication savvy, she will point out three immediate reasons why a speech class is required for all students: first, communication is critical for functioning in society. Second, oral tradition is a keystone to the democratic process, and third, globalization and expanding information technologies making our world smaller, putting us in contact more and more with people who communicate differently than the members of the dominant U.S. culture. As these three reasons expand due to global economic change, there becomes even more need for people to be better communicators.
http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/muting-noise-in-cultural-and-cross.html
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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment
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Diversity Briefings Newsletter: Nov. 12, 2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/12/2010

Volume 1, Issue 17. Published Each Monday - Friday

Today’s New Diversity Topics: Latin American Leaders at G-20 Call For Responsibility From Rich Countries - Court Nixes Bedtime Story For Female Employee - US Airways Promises To Improve Diversity Activities - Ethnic Tensions Cost Banker Her Job, She Claims - Bad Economy Doesn’t Mean Harassment, Discrimination Okay - Millennials Have Little Patience For Bureaucracy; Want To Change The World - Experts: Not Enough Done In Schools About Anti-gay Bullying - DOMA Lawsuits Filed By Gay Civil Rights Groups - Chilean Government Supports Muslim School Girl Use Of ‘Hijab’- Lawmakers Divided Over Whether NBC-Comcast Merger Would Aid Diversity - Uneven Gains For Diversity + Today's Diversity Management Briefing

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Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!
Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher
P.S. Free gift offer inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
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Latin American Leaders at G-20 Call For Responsibility From Rich Countries
From MercoPress: Leaders from Brazil, Mexico and Argentina in the framework of the G-20 summit in Korea called on rich countries for a commitment to end the “currencies war” and ensure balanced growth out of the current crisis. “Developed countries must increase their domestic demand, in contrast with US policy which is geared to promote domestic demand in developing countries”, said Lula da Silva in Seoul warning that if rich countries don’t increase consumption instead of promoting exports, “we’re heading for a major global collapse”.
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/11/latin-american-leaders-at-g-20-call-for-responsibility-from-rich-countries?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily
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Court Nixes Bedtime Story For Female Employee
From The HR Café Daily Post: A supervisor who lay down on a female subordinate’s hotel bed, unbuttoned his shirt and demanded a “bedtime story” has cost his employer more than $500,000. A federal appeals court upheld a jury award of $250,000 in damages for the woman, and granted her lawyers more than $300,000 in fees. The employee’s lawsuit claimed she was sexually harassed… and fired for complaining. The supervisor admitted at trial that he knew of the dangers of harassment. “I should have been much more careful,” he said. Cite: Manzo v. Sovereign Motor Cars.(Stupid Manager Tricks, Sexual Harassment Edition)
http://rapidlearninginstitute.com/hrcafe/stupid-manager-tricks-sexual-harassment-edition/?utm_source=The+HR+Cafe+Blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=504a548f73-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_HRCAFE
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US Airways Promises To Improve Diversity Activities
Diversity News reports: US Airways has pledged to strengthen its diversity initiatives in the workplace after being accused of discriminating against African Americans in a suit brought on by the NAACP. The suit was voluntarily dismissed by the NAACP last Friday after a settlement was reached.
http://diversityjobs.com/news/naccp-dismisses-discrimination-suit-against-us-airways/
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Ethnic Tensions Cost Banker Her Job, She Claims
From New York Daily News: A Trinidadian banker who worked for a Guyanese boss is suing JPMorgan Chase, saying she was fired because of ethnic tensions. Shivana Persad, 26, says she was treated like a second-class citizen at Chase Manhattan's South Richmond Hill, Queens, branch.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/11/12/2010-11-12_trinidadian_claims_bias_in_suit_vs_bank.html#ixzz1565JQA5v
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Bad Economy Doesn’t Mean Harassment, Discrimination Okay
From The Memphis Business Journal: A challenging economic environment does not alter an employer’s legal obligations to create a workplace free of harassment or other discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is as active at the present time in pursuing harassment charges as it was prior to the economic downturn.
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2010/11/12/economy-does-not-alter-need-for.html
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Millennials Have Little Patience For Bureaucracy; Want To Change The World
From BNET: “Millennials” have ADD and high expectations. When it comes to their jobs, those born in the 90s seem to want to be able to move incredibly quickly and have little patience for bureaucracy. It’s natural for Millennails to want their ideas heard and evaluated fairly; most want to change the world. That’s quite a lot to ask any manager or business owner to keep up them, but isn’t a lot of what they’re saying ultimately fairly sound and logical? What about empowering everyone in your company equally?
http://www.bnet.com/blog/virtual-manager/want-to-feel-old-in-a-hurry-try-managing-millennials/854?tag=drawer-container;load-section-river
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Experts: Not Enough Done In Schools About Anti-gay Bullying
From Hometown News: A recent spate of suicides by gay teens has brought to light that a lack of information and support for gay students in their schools can be a contributing factor in tragic results. Experts say schools must do more - in their bullying policies, sex education curricula and teacher training - to help the growing number of gay teens who are coming out at earlier ages.
--"Growing up as a LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) student is hard enough when it comes to getting your family and your friends to accept you, and then you walk into a classroom and you feel even more isolated if the school is not doing enough to make sure that you have a safe and affirming environment," said Daniel Presgraves, spokesman for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. "Schools have an obligation to make sure that all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, have an opportunity to learn."
http://www.myhometownnews.net/index.php?id=74920
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DOMA Lawsuits Filed By Gay Civil Rights Groups
From Insurance Making: Gay civil rights groups trying to build momentum for a possible Supreme Court showdown filed two lawsuits Tuesday that seek to strike down portions of a 1996 law that denies married same-sex couples federal benefits.The lawsuits were filed in federal courts in Connecticut and New York and come just months after a federal judge in Boston struck down a key component of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
http://www.insurancemaking.com/politics/41644-doma-lawsuits-filed-gay-civil-rights-groups.html
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Chilean Government Supports Muslim School Girl Use Of ‘Hijab’
From MercoPress: Yasmin Elsayed, a 9-year old girl who was prohibited from wearing a hijab (an Islamic head scarf) at the W. A. Mozart School in the La Reina borough of Chile’s capital Santiago, was allowed to register again for the 2011 school year this week. The school claimed the hijab was not part of the official school uniform. Yasmin’s parents complained that school officials had said their daughter would not be able to enrol for the following school year if she continued to wear the head scarf.
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/11/chilean-government-supports-muslim-school-girl-use-of-hijab?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily
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Lawmakers Divided Over Whether NBC-Comcast Merger Would Aid Diversity
From The Hill: Lawmakers are increasingly divided on whether Comcast's proposed acquisition of NBC Universal would help or harm the amount of diversity in the media. The proposed merger has drawn scrutiny from competing media companies and advocacy groups who fear the deal would concentrate too much control over media ownership and distribution in the hands of one firm. Lawmakers, especially those representing districts with significant minority populations, have increasingly found themselves choosing sides in the debate.
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/126051-nbc-comcast-merger-divides-lawmakers-on-diversity-
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Uneven Gains For Diversity
From The New York Times: Last month’s game between Virginia and Eastern Michigan marked a milestone for diversity at college football’s highest level as the first such matchup in which both coaches and athletic directors were African-Americans. A study released Thursday found uneven progress toward more moments like it in the future.The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida reported large gains in the number of minority head coaches at college football’s highest level, but less movement in other leadership positions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/sports/12sportsbriefs-diversity.html
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Lots of my friends are enjoying this free gift. I hope you will, too. Susan


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Today's Diversity Management Briefing: Diversity Your Business and Watch It Grow
--My husband and I were having a quick breakfast in an unfamiliar restaurant, waiting for the doors to open at a nearby museum. As I sipped my coffee, I began to realize why I wasn't comfortable. It wasn't just because we were having Sunday breakfast away from home. Very quickly, I had realized every person serving us, from the greeter to wait staff, was young and white. I peeked into the kitchen and confirmed what I was guessing - the invisible people working behind the scenes, performing the lower paying jobs, were Latino, African American and of varying ages. Will this restaurant get my return business? Probably not.
--While Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender and national origin, it seems that a number of companies still don't get it when it comes to discriminatory advertising or other issues like denying an employee the right to use the Family Medical Leave Act or allowing sexual harassment in the workplace.
--Employees understand. In a recent three year period, related employment discrimination lawsuits increased by 77 percent.
Susan's article continues --
http://ezinearticles.com/?Diversify-Your-Business-and-Watch-it-Grow&id=4728152
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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration
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Keep Up With Diversity News: 10/20/2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 10/20/2010

Volume 1, Issue 2
Group Klopfer Diversity Consulting

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

Today’s Topics: mental health and disability, effective leaders, ADA & anti-discrimination, citizenship & immigration, “BFOQ,” Credit histories and hiring, mandatory harassment prevention training, EEOC & credit history, Diversity Management Tip of the day

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***The Justice Department announced that it has entered into a comprehensive settlement agreement that will transform the state of Georgia’s mental health and developmental disability system and resolve a lawsuit the United States brought against the state.

The lawsuit alleged unlawful segregation of individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities in the state’s psychiatric hospitals in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C. Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez called the agreement "the most comprehensive settlement that the Department has ever reached in an Olmstead case."

To continue “Justice Department Obtains Comprehensive Agreement Regarding the State of Georgia’s Mental Health and Developmental Disability System,” click here.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/October/10-crt-1165.html

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***What makes an effective leader? Many diversity experts say that self-awareness is at the heart of strong leadership, and that good leaders stay ahead by working on improving themselves.

An important key is committing oneself to the lifelong practice of self-understanding and comprehending the diverse world around us. No matter how hard a person tries, we all have biases; we discriminate without even recognizing what we are doing.

William Sonnenschein, a noted diversity expert and author, suggests overcoming this tendency by "waking up tomorrow morning" and "try wondering what prejudice you will discover during the day, what assumption you will make that will be proven wrong, what bias will affect your day."

To continue "Effective Diversity Management Starts From Within - Self-Awareness Is Key" click here.

http://bit.ly/bTa2s9

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***ADA differs from most other anti-discrimination laws in a significant way: it mandates more than "equal" treatment to ensure equal employment opportunity for individuals with disabilities.

The term "discriminate" includes "not making reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or employee, unless such covered entity can demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the business...."

To continue “The Benefits and Privileges of Reasonable Accommodation,” click here

http://shawvalenza.com/publications.php?id=283

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***As of October 15, 2010, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received only 42,800 of the 65,000 H-1B non-immigrant visa petitions needed to meet the H-1B regular cap, and just 15,700 of the 20,000 visa petitions needed to meet the U.S. master’s degree cap, according to updated information released by the agency on H-1B non-immigrant visa petitions for Fiscal Year 2011 (beginning October 1, 2010).

To continue “USCIS Releases Updated Information on Filed H-1B Petitions,” click here

http://www.jacksonlewis.com/resources.php?NewsID=3430

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Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on sex and other criteria. But there are some defenses to discrimination. One of these is the "BFOQ" or bona fide occupational qualification.

To continue “Ninth Circuit Explains "BFOQ" Defense in Sex Discrimination Case”

Click here

http://shawvalenza.blogspot.com/2010/09/ninth-circuit-explains-bfoq-defense-in.html

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In 2011, most employers with California operations will have to retrain their supervisory employees on preventing unlawful harassment. California passed A.B. 1825 in 2004, requiring that employers provide harassment prevention training every two years.

To continue “How Legal Trends Will Impact Mandatory Harassment Training for 2011 in California,” click here

http://www.littler.com/PressPublications/Lists/Insights/DispInsights.aspx?id=160

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More Notes

EEOC looks into using credit histories in hiring

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will look into the practice of using credit histories to screen employees. The hearings will be held in Washington, D.C. today. Check the Federal Register announcement which provides a phone number for the hearing officer.

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-25869.pdf

The House Financial Services Committee recently held hearings on H.R. 3149, the Equal Opportunity for All Act, which would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to outlaw reliance on consumer credit reports by employers in making employment decisions, including hiring.

http://www.dcemploymentlawupdate.com/2010/09/articles/discrimination-in-the-workplac/house-committee-holds-hearing-on-bill-limiting-employment-credit-checks/

Diversity Management Tip of the Day

"Say what?"

As soon as she left the graduation stage, diploma in hand, Jill received a whisper from her favorite professor, "Remember to be aware of the prevailing corporate culture, wherever you go."

Jill paused to wonder just what the professor was talking about, faintly recalling the word "culture" from her organizational sociology class.

Her professor was only concerned that her best student might have a tough time "fitting in" at any company in this rural, conservative state. Jill, an arty person, wears self-designed clothing, sports a tattoo and remains culturally close to her Louisiana Creole roots, reflected in her mixed language.

To continue “Managing and Valuing Diversity, The Top Talent Will Come To You” click here.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Value-and-Manage-Diversity---The-Top-Talent-Will-Come-To-You&id=5226960

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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.


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Seeking definitions for diversity in the workplace; this one looks good

What is diversity in the workplace? I've been searching for definitions -- and there are many. Recently I ran into this one from Cornell University and I thought it was quite good. What do you think?

Workplace diversity is a people issue, focused on the differences and similarities that people bring to an organization. It is usually defined broadly to include dimensions beyond those specified legally in equal opportunity and affirmative action non-discrimination statutes. Diversity is often interpreted to include dimensions which influence the identities and perspectives that people bring, such as profession, education, parental status and geographic location.
As a concept, diversity is considered to be inclusive of everyone. In many ways, diversity initiatives complement non-discrimination compliance programs by creating the workplace environment and organizational culture for making differences work. Diversity is about learning from others who are not the same, about dignity and respect for all, and about creating workplace environments and practices that encourage learning from others and capture the advantage of diverse perspectives.

The school's Catherwood Library has prepared a guide introducing key library and online resources in the area of workplace diversity, including practitioner resources, journals, consultant directories, and more.

In Starting Points, you will find a link to the BLS - Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as a comprehensive starting point for disability law. The Databases section links to a GenderStats database. Even if you are not a Cornell student and can't use all of the links, there is still quite a lot of information here that is accessible, so it is a good starting place for doing some research.