BIAS AND THE LAW
Protect Your
R R Re e ep p pu u ut t ta a at t ti i io o on n n
BY C. STONE BROWN
© 2006 DiversityInc
Major race- and gender-discrimination lawsuits over the
past 10 years cost U.S. corporations $974 million in settlements alone—and that’s without attorney fees and
other additional costs and decreased market capitalization caused by negative public relations. Most of these
lawsuits could have been avoided through strategic
diversity management.
Almost all of the companies that have been the subjects of high-profile discrimination litigation in recent
years were in compliance with Equal Employment
Opportunity work-force numbers required to bid for
federal contracts. Their predicaments occurred because
they failed to recognize, measure and eliminate bias
within their corporate cultures, which is the essence of
successful diversity management.
“Compliance is a limited concept,” says Paul
Thomas, partner, Holland & Knight. “The additional
aspects of what’s appropriate and what’s necessary for
the benefits of a diverse work force speak to … what
benefits can arise from having a workplace where people
are comfortable and people feel invited.”
“This really is more than just a compliance issue. It’s
about creating an atmosphere, a community within
your ranks of employees and associates that will cause
