Overview
Workplaces are always evolving and bringing together people with different backgrounds, experiences and expectations. At Vorys, our employment law team, along with cross-functional partners, is ready to serve as your strategic partner in creating fair, accessible, inclusive and representative workplaces. We are experienced in helping employers navigate the complex legal, cultural and public relations challenges related to their inclusion, equity and diversity programs and initiatives.
Our approach is client centric. We work, first, to understand our client’s culture, brand, expectations and ethos. This understanding and foundation allow us to advise on risk and recommendations that meet the unique objectives of each business, institution or organization.
What We Do and Capabilities
Audits and Risk Assessment: Vorys regularly conducts privileged audits and assessments of programs and initiatives that touch employee experiences. This includes pay equity practices, workplace inclusion programs and initiatives, employee resource groups and hiring, advancement and succession practices.
Education and Training: Our team offers training for HR professionals, managers and executives on the latest developments and in crafting legally compliant inclusion, equity and diversity programs and initiatives. We focus on strategies and approaches for ensuring workplaces are fair, accessible, inclusive and representative of the communities where employers live, work and conduct business.
Government Investigations: We assist clients facing investigations initiated by governmental actors related to inclusion initiatives and programs.
Investigations and Advice and Counsel: Vorys provides nuanced guidance on day-to-day employment law issues related to clients’ inclusion initiatives and goals and can lead internal investigations regarding inclusion, equity and diversity issues. This also includes advice regarding crisis prevention, mitigation and response.
Defense Litigation: As legal challenges emerge across the country, an increasing number of employers face challenges in maintaining and continuing their inclusion initiatives and programs. In the event of litigation, our deep bench of attorneys has significant experience defending claims targeting clients’ inclusion initiatives and programs.
Higher-Education Expertise: For higher-education institutions, following developments that have occurred since 2023 following Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, 600 U.S. 181 (2023), Vorys has advised institutions regarding inclusion, equity and diversity efforts and issues. We assist clients in creating programs and policies that align with court decisions, federal guidance and applicable state laws and help clients identify emerging issues, risks and the evolution of compliance.
