60 Years Later, 100+ HR Essentials, ADA Delay Warning - Jul 2, 2025

Hey there, HR Pros! 👋 Today marks the Civil Rights Act anniversary—a milestone that reshaped workplaces forever. Let’s talk about how HR has come a long way…

On today’s agenda:

🕊️ HR’s 60-year evolution

😄 Your HR essentials bundle

⏳ Delay ≠ no harm: ADA warning

📉 “Hiring outlook hits the breaks”

THE HR SPOTLIGHT

60 Years Later: How HR Has Evolved Since the Civil Rights Act 🕊️

July 2, 1964: The Civil Rights Act was signed into law, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It changed HR forever—and let’s just say, we've traded in clipboards for compliance dashboards.

🕰️ The situation: Then vs. now

In the 60s, HR barely existed as a strategic function. “Personnel” teams handled hiring, pay, and... well, not much else. Discrimination was rampant, and there were no laws requiring equal treatment.

Fast-forward to today:

• 6 in 10 professionals say discrimination is a persistent problem in the workplace (2025 Workplace DEI Report)

• Workplace bias has shifted from overt to subtle: code-switching, unequal promotions, and unchecked microaggressions

• Legal risks are rising—discrimination charges rose by 9.2 in 2024 (EEOC)

✊ What HR can do (now):

1. Review policies for legal compliance and inclusive language

2. Audit hiring and promotion data—don’t just assume equity, prove it

3. Train leaders on unconscious bias (and maybe conscious bias too...)

4. Create safe feedback channels for employees to speak up without fear

Pro Tip: Stay sharp with our Employment Law Guide—it’s like an HR time machine, minus the bell bottoms.

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👀 Gen‑Z ‘Busy Work’ Bluff - HR Grapevine

• What’s unfolding: HR Grapevine reports Gen‑Z staffers are “faking productivity”—spinning casual online activity to appear busy in hybrid workplaces.

• Why it matters: With hybrid here to stay, HR should shift focus from activity tracking to output measurement—update performance metrics and set clear goals to improve trust and engagement.

• What’s unfolding: An Indian tech contractor in the U.S. was reportedly told by a senior colleague to stop speaking in meetings due to his accent. His manager stepped in, rerouting communication instead of addressing the bias.

• Why it matters: Don’t silence voices—support them. This is a red flag for exclusion and micro-discrimination. Enforce zero‑tolerance for culture-based silencing and set up confidential feedback channels for contractors and diverse staff.

• What’s unfolding: HCM provider Thread launched a new division targeting large employers nationwide—offering unified HR support from recruiting to payroll.

• Why it matters: Scalable HR tech is now mainstream. HR teams need tools that grow with them. Evaluate if your systems support large‑scale reporting and pilot a module to test ROI.

COMPLIANCE CORNER

• What’s unfolding: The 5th Circuit recently ruled that a six-month delay in ADA accommodation can itself signal bad faith and a failure to accommodate, even without other injury or harm.

• HR implications: HR pros should streamline ADA processes, document interactions carefully, and set an internal goal—ideally within 30 days—for finalizing accommodation requests to prevent legal risks.

• What’s unfolding: Despite the White House push for federal workers to return to offices, agencies are maintaining hybrid setups—balancing mandates with modern work realities.

• HR implications: Leaders in government and public-sector contractors must craft flexible, compliant telework policies and clearly communicate expectations—no later than next quarter to align with federal guidance.

• What’s unfolding: Western Distributing will pay USD919K to settle a 9-year EEOC disability-discrimination suit—though they deny wrongdoing—and agree to third-party compliance monitoring.

• HR implications: Teams should proactively review ADA accommodations protocols and audit RTO policies to reduce legal exposure.

BREAKROOM

📬 Missed Monday’s issue ‘Culture > Strategy’? Read it »