Courts likely to side with EEOC in DEI probes, attorneys say

A recent lawsuit against Nike represents the “tip of the spear” for the commission’s anti-DEI efforts, according to Duane Morris’ Gerald Maatman.

By Ryan Golden • April 13, 2026

BNY gives its employees a homeownership hand-up

The bank is offering $6,500 in down payment assistance to employees who make $100,000 or less a year. BNY in recent years has raised its minimum wage and offered company stock to its lowest-paid workers.

By Dan Ennis • April 9, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from ESG Dive

The landscape for ESG continues to shift, as U.S. exits from major climate agreements and organizations are juxtaposed with states forging ahead with their own climate disclosure laws.

By ESG Dive staff

How climate change can lead to workplace disruption and employee stress

Deloitte research found that extreme weather events frequently affected day-to-day workforce dynamics far beyond missed shifts.

By Lara Ewen • April 9, 2026

Grocer Ahold Delhaize USA joins Responsible Labor Initiative

The supermarket chain will help tackle human rights risks in global food and beverage supply chains as a member of the international group.

By Sam Silverstein • April 9, 2026

Advancing sustainability amid heightened scrutiny top of mind at GreenBiz26

The annual conference provided a venue to share best practices for advancing corporate sustainability programs amid a shifting political environment and evolving expectations.

By Lamar Johnson • April 8, 2026

AI may threaten critical thinking in the workplace

Human capital as a whole is at risk due to AI use at work, according to University of Bath researchers.

By Caroline Colvin • April 8, 2026

Microsoft inks bioenergy CDR deal with Indigenous-owned project

The tech giant is purchasing 626,000 metric tons from what is believed to be Canada’s first majority Indigenous-owned carbon removal project. The deal was called an “anchor offtake.” 

By Lamar Johnson • April 7, 2026

Gender pay gap grows in 2026, report finds

Payscale noted that the gender pay gap exists at every education level and “widens significantly” as women age and progress in their careers.

By Ginger Christ • April 7, 2026

Trump’s 2027 budget again aims to halve EPA spending

The president envisions steep cuts to social and environmental programming in an echo of his proposal last year. The final tally will likely change following negotiations with Congress.

By Jacob Wallace • April 6, 2026

Corporate responsibility budgets steady despite ‘challenging year’: ACCP

Amid political shifts, corporate social responsibility teams are sticking to their strategies and aligning to business value, according to the CEO of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals.

By Lamar Johnson • April 3, 2026

Nestlé inks partnership to support labor rights in coffee supply chains

The two-year social justice project with the International Labour Organization will focus on three main coffee sourcing countries: Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.

By Zoya Mirza • April 2, 2026

REI faces possible anniversary sale boycott after abandoning labor talks

The REI Union, expressing confidence that the retailer’s customers would join workers in sending a message, will finalize a decision by May 1.

By Daphne Howland • April 2, 2026

The hospitality industry’s gender pay gap is ‘structural,’ analysis finds

Progress on the pay gap has generally stalled, various reports indicate, and it is particularly notable in food service.

By Kathryn Moody • March 31, 2026

GRI proposes new standards on pollution, incident reporting

The global sustainability standard setter is seeking public feedback on its air pollution, soil pollution and critical incidents standards by June 8.

By Lamar Johnson • March 30, 2026

Trump order directs federal contractors to dump DEI — or risk canceled contracts

Departments and agencies have until April 25 to insert a clause in their contracts that requires contractors and subcontractors to not engage in “racially discriminatory DEI activities.”

By Emilie Shumway • March 30, 2026

CFOs don’t expect large AI labor impact this year: report

Though CFOs expect AI to affect their teams’ overall composition, current investments in the technology remain focused on bolstering productivity rather than cost reduction, a National Bureau of Economic Research survey found.

By Grace Noto • March 26, 2026

EPA proposes weakening emission regulations for cancer-causing gas

The proposal would relax standards for facilities that use ethylene oxide to sterilize medical devices.

By Elise Reuter • March 17, 2026

AI trailed DEI, immigration in terms of 2025 compliance impact, employers say

The combination of regulatory and economic uncertainty prompted more than one-third of employers in a Littler survey to reduce headcount within the past year.

By Ryan Golden • March 16, 2026

Trump’s anti-DEI orders stand for now, but future challenges can’t be ruled out

The White House is emboldened to act “aggressively,” making it important for employers to audit their DEI programs, management-side attorneys say.

By Ryan Golden • March 5, 2026

EEOC warns Fortune 500 to ‘reject identity politics’ in anti-DEI push

A letter from EEOC underscores the Trump administration’s stance on “unlawful discrimination” related to diversity, equity and inclusion at work.

By Ginger Christ • Feb. 27, 2026

Trump touts ‘we ended DEI’ in State of the Union

The president’s declaration follows a yearlong attack on DEI during which some employers rolled back their initiatives, while others stayed the course.

By Kate Tornone • Feb. 26, 2026

Food, beverage companies lagging on addressing forced labor risks: report

Despite widespread commitments to end forced labor across their supply chains, food and beverage companies rarely implement the transparency and labor practices that prevent it, a new report finds.

By Lauren Schenkman • Feb. 23, 2026

EPA sued over rescission of greenhouse gas endangerment finding

Several groups are fighting the rollback of the 2009 finding, which determined that climate pollution threatens public health and welfare. The finding provided a legal basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions.

By Jeffrey Kinney • Feb. 20, 2026

Black women employment sees one of its sharpest annual declines in past 25 years

The months ahead might provide clearer answers as to whether the losses were “casualties of anti-equity backlash in action,” EPI researchers said.

By Lara Ewen • Feb. 19, 2026

Trump secures legal victory on anti-DEI directives

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals let stand two executive orders that target diversity, equity inclusion.

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 12, 2026