Are you ready for 2024?
We’re quickly closing in on the end of the year – a time when our thoughts begin to shift to turkeys, travel, and time off. Things that once seemed like year-end priorities become items to “circle back” to after the holidays...
But before you put on your “out of office” email auto-response, set your workplace up for success in the new year by establishing priorities, goals, and plans for 2024!
As always, the legal and cultural landscape around workplace harassment is ever-evolving, so it’s important to stay on top of emerging trends in enforcement and employee satisfaction. Below are a couple we’ve been focused on that might help you as you prepare for 2024.
Music in the Workplace:
A Potential Form of Harassment
A recent Ninth Circuit case held that music can be a form of workplace harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Our CEO, Ally Coll, wrote a Law360 Expert Analysis piece addressing this decision and discussing what it practically means for employers who want to offer a soundtrack for the workday. Ally advises employers to create a clear music policy and to train employees on this new policy to reinforce expectations.
Unsure where to start when it comes to drafting a music policy? The Purple Method can help ensure your employees rock out responsibly in the workplace and also review your current handbook and workplace guidelines to ensure they are up-to-date with other emerging trends.
New EEOC Strategic Enforcement Priorities
Did you know that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) just released its new Strategic Enforcement Plan for 2024-2028? Last month, Ally and I co-authored another Law360 Expert Analysis article highlighting the top issues the EEOC is focusing on, as well as practical ways your organization can ensure a safe and equitable workplace.
It’s important to ensure your policies and trainings are accessible and relatable, that they address online harassment scenarios, and are reinforced with an intersectional lens.
Additionally, despite recent lawsuits challenging corporate DEI programs, organizations should plan to recommit to such programs as part of a holistic effort to create safe and inclusive workplaces in the new year. The Purple Method can help you meaningfully prioritize DEI initiatives and address the unique challenges in your workplace in order to foster inclusivity.
Not sure where to start in planning for 2024? Get in touch with. We can help identify priorities and advise on the areas you’d like to improve on. Here’s to a safe and productive fall!
Best,
Shea Holman
Counsel + COO
The Purple Method