Legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons are on the rise, with several court rulings favoring same-sex marriage and President Obama’s recent executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in government contracts. At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Hobby Lobby case suggests greater protections for certain kinds of religious rights.
These two trends raise the question: How can a nonprofit committed to diversity in the workplace balance these sometimes-competing values?
In this Legal Quick Hit, we will discuss the current state of the law pertaining to LGBT persons to ensure that your policies and practices are up to date. We will offer practical advice on questions associated with gender identity in the workplace. In addition, we will review your organization’s and your employees’ respective rights and obligations pertaining to religious practices and beliefs, including what constitutes a “reasonable accommodation” of an employee’s religion and what to do when the requesting employee’s religious values conflict with other dimensions of your EEO policies, such as protections for LGBT persons.
Finally, the Quick Hit will show what all of this means for your nonprofit’s diversity policy, and how to craft such a policy to minimize possible confusion and legal liability.
Speakers
Todd J. Horn, Esq., Partner, Labor and Employment Practice Group, Venable LLP
Douglas B. Mishkin, Esq., Partner, Labor and Employment Practice Group, Venable LLP
Keith A. Mong, Esq., Partner, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice, Venable LLP
This event is open to ACC members only. Please visit ACC's website if interested in membership.