Signal Through the Noise

When Priorities Shift: How to Prepare Your Workplace for What’s Next  March 2026 Key Insights In Focus: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission  EEOC Overturns Facilities Ruling for Federal Agencies  On February 26, the EEOC voted to approve a federal-sector appellate decision, which held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 allows government agencies to maintain “single-sex spaces”. The vote overturns much of Lusardi v. Department of…

Mapping Key Policy Trends: The Federal and State Actions Shaping 2026  February 2026 Key Insights EEOC Strikes Harassment Guidance  In the previous issue of Signal Through the Noise, we reported that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had submitted a request to strike their 2024 Harassment Guidance. The guidance, now removed from the EEOC website, provided employers and employees with information on preventing and addressing workplace harassment across all protected characteristics, including race, color, sex (including sexual orientation and…

Safeguarding Inclusion Amid Political and Legal Shifts  January 2026 Key Insights Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Continues to Target “DEI”   In December, newly confirmed EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas issued multiple statements reiterating the agency’s intention to target inclusion-related initiatives in 2026. These actions prompted critical responses from legal experts, particularly past EEOC commissioners. With the EEOC’s first “DEI-related” investigation announced in November,…

2025 Executive Orders: Ripple Effects and Roadblocks  December 2025 Key Insights For decades, LGBTQ+ inclusion in the corporate sector often outpaced the law. When legislative action lagged behind societal change, the private sector stepped in to create policies and practices that fostered equity and belonging.   This year, however, we faced an unprecedented shift: public policy became a barrier rather than a bridge.…

Beyond the Headlines: What Shifting Policies Mean for Inclusion  November 2025 Key Insights Updates from the 2025-2026 Supreme Court Term  Transgender Students Playing Sports (Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J.)  Click here for additional analysis on Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J.   Marriage Equality (Ermold v. Davis)  Click here for additional…

Looking Ahead: Monitoring the 2025-2026 Supreme Court Term  October 2025 Key Insights Understanding the Supreme Court   When is the Supreme Court term?   Source: https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/procedures   How do cases move through the Supreme Court?  Source: https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/supreme-court-procedures   What is a shadow docket?  The Supreme Court’s shadow docket, also called an emergency docket, involves issuing emergency orders and summary…

Navigating Regulatory Shifts: Understanding Current Legal and Compliance Trends  September 2025 Key Insights Department of Justice Subpoenas Institutions Providing Gender-Affirming Care for Youth  Following the U.S. v. Skrmetti ruling, which upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, the Department of Justice subpoenaed hospitals across the country, requesting sensitive medical and personal information about adolescent…

Navigating Compliance in a Shifting Legal Landscape  August 2025 Key Insights Understanding DOJ Guidance on Unlawful Discrimination On July 30, the US Department of Justice released guidance on what the Department considers unlawful discrimination for recipients of federal funding. It is important to note that even for those not receiving federal funds, DOJ will likely take the same view of the employment sections of the guidelines for all employers covered by the Civil Rights Act…

Inclusion Under Review: Understanding the Business Impacts of a Shifting Equality Landscape  July 2025 Key Insights Refresher on the Three Branches of Government  The U.S. Constitution separates the government into the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Each branch has a distinct role in drafting, approving, and interpreting federal laws and applying the Constitution. Using a…