State Attorneys General Say DEI Is Alive and Well

In February, 2025, a coalition of 16 state Attorneys General issued a Multi-State Guidance Concerning Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Employment Initiatives. The position paper, which was spearheaded by the AGs of Massachusetts and Illinois and joined by the chief law enforcement officers of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont, outlines the importance and legality of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI) initiatives in the workplace.

The AGs affirm that, despite a recent federal executive order attacking DEI policies, those initiatives remain lawful and essential for creating inclusive and thriving workplaces. In fact, the AGs note that DEI best practices help reduce litigation risks by preventing unlawful discrimination and fostering a supportive work environment and promoting a culture of belonging and unity. Citing a study by McKinsey & Company the AGs remind us that “companies in the top quartile for diversity were 35% more likely to have financial gains above their respective industry median.”

The new guidance stresses that proper DEI practices do not include unlawful hiring or promotion preferences but do focus on ensuring fair opportunities for all employees. The guidance also supplies best practices for implementing DEI initiatives, such as:

• Widescale recruitment efforts to attract a larger pool of applicants from a variety of backgrounds;
• Panel interviews, ensuring that multiple people are involved in a hiring or promotion recommendation;
• Training on unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, and disability awareness;
• Clear protocols for reporting discrimination or harassment; and
• Integrating principles and practices promoting belonging and unity into an organization’s everyday way of doing business.

The Attorneys General guidance ends with a promise to “support organizations in our respective states as they continue to build and sustain successful and inclusive workplaces by implementing robust diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility policies consistent with their obligations under our laws.”

What this means to you: 

At Fair Measures, we specialize in creating respectful workplaces for businesses by training executives, managers, and employees about how to create shared organizational culture based on values, policies, and laws. We offer our courses—led by experienced attorney-trainers—both in the classroom and by interactive webinar.

Our Harassment Prevention webinars for managers and employees, our Respectful Workplace classroom training, and our flagship Managing Within the Law course have been overhauled for 2025 to teach your employees what they need to know right now about preventing workplace harassment, discrimination, and bullying, being an upstander–not a bystander, and keeping your organization a great place to work.

Let us help you make your workplace the best it can be! To find out more about our national HR and employment law training programs, or to book a 2025 workshop, please call 800-458-2778 or send us an email!

Updated 03-10-2025