Pay parity is an elusive goal in the business world. Although pay discrimination is illegal, identifying and addressing pay equity problems within a company can be a difficult hurdle. There’s never been a better time for HR pros to make sure they’re actively aware of how pay shakes out in their workplace and strive toward parity.

“The two biggest factors why we haven’t made pay equity in the last 30 years are the fact that women have babies and the cultural perception in our relationships and society that men are the breadwinners,” said employment attorney Heather Bussing, who literally co-wrote the book on pay equity.

But the tides are turning. Bussing told HR Brew that it’s more important now than ever for companies to figure out how pay equity factors into their decision-making through an audit, especially as the compliance winds shift towards more reporting and more accountability.

Making pay (in)equity history. Although addressing pay equity has been a legal requirement of companies for decades, measuring and enforcing pay equity has remained an elusive goal.

Keep reading here.—AD

Conservatives and politicians have increasingly pushed an anti-DE&I narrative over the last two years in an attempt to convince employers to roll back their diversity programs. Now, Walmart, the largest private employer in the US, has become the latest company to confirm major changes to its DE&I initiatives. And while conservatives are claiming victory, a spokesperson for Walmart told HR Brew that the company is still committed to a workplace where everyone belongs.

What’s changed. Walmart, which has 1.6 million US employees, will not renew its five-year commitment to its racial equality center, established after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, the company first confirmed to the Associated Press.

It will also no longer participate in any demographic-specific workplace benchmarks, the company told HR Brew, including the Human Rights Campaign’s annual workplace benchmark and the Disability:IN Disability Equality Index survey. Other changes include re-examining grants for Pride events, and keeping family areas separate from drag performances, emphasizing, however, that it does not view trangender people as a danger.

Big picture. Walmart is the biggest name to backtrack on its DE&I initiatives, and to engage with Robby Starbuck, the conservative, anti-gay commentator, as he pressures companies to abandon their diversity efforts. At least 10 companies, including Lowe’s, Ford, Boeing, and Toyota, have publicly stated their intent to retreat since June, as pressure from conservative activists has intensified. However, equality advocates are encouraging companies to stay the course, in part because diverse companies are more profitable and have better employee engagement.

Keep reading here.—KP

Gen Z employees aren’t the new kids on the block anymore. They’re all grown up and taking on leadership roles.

Next year, over 10% of managers will identify as Gen Z, according to a recent Glassdoor report. The eldest members of the generation will be 27, following a pattern set by previous generations: 13% of millennial, 14% of Gen X, and 12% of Baby Boomer workers were also managers at 27 years old. They’ll also be redefining what it means to be a manager.

“There will be some differences with how Gen Z approaches management, because things that we look for in good leaders and good managers now is different,” Daniel Zhao, lead economist at Glassdoor, told HR Brew.

What’s going on? Gen Z leaders aren’t completely different from previous generations, Zhao said, but they are entering management at a time when the workforce has different expectations of leaders.

Keep reading here.—MC