A further read-through of the Ricci v. DeStefano case today has reinforced my view that there are going to be some real lessons learned for employers out of this case.  The case had the potential of being a very narrow decision which would have minimized the impact to employers. However, because the court addresses head-on various Title VII issues, it’s likely to creep into much larger issues and it’s not out of the question to see it impact affirmative action plans or diversity programs.

Because of that, I’ve decided to spend a good deal of time discussing this case and the impact on employers in Connecticut and beyond in a webinar scheduled for July 8th at noon EDT.  You can register for it for free here.  Space will be limited so be sure to sign up today. 

In this session, I anticipate we’ll discuss::

— The basics of Title VII and how it applies to employers
— The differences between "disparate impact" and "disparate treatment" claims
— How employers should deal with the use of tests in the workplace and what it is permissible to do when the test results seem "off"

— What the lessons are to be learned from Ricci, and steps employers can take to avoid reverse discrimination claims in the future

— What is "reverse" discrimination and whether employers need to be concerned about such claims

— What the impact this decision will have on affirmative action plans and diversity programs

As time permits, we will also wrap up the other Supreme Court employment law decisions in the 2008-09 term and the takeaway for employers in each of those cases, including an important age discrimination case.

Looking forward to having you all join us.