Disparate Impact & Enforcement Rollbacks: What's the Tea in L&E?

In this episode of What’s the Tea in L&E, Labor & Employment attorney Fred Schutt joins host Leah Stiegler for an insightful discussion on disparate impact and the recent rollback of government enforcement in these types of cases.

Disparate impact occurs when a seemingly neutral company policy disproportionately affects a particular group within the workforce or applicant pool. A recent case involving Sheetz has brought attention to this issue, as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigated whether the company's practice of evaluating applicants' criminal histories—regardless of conviction—unfairly disadvantaged applicants of color.

With the government scaling back its enforcement efforts, employees now have fewer protections than they did just a month ago. Despite this shift, it remains essential for employers to closely examine their hiring and promotion practices to ensure they are equitable and legally compliant.