Guidance for Tech Companies Navigating International Human Rights Workplace Anti-Discrimination Laws

In this Bloomberg Law article, special counsel Betsy Popken and associate Kelly Newsome explore the international human rights laws that govern anti-discrimination regulation globally and provide guidance on steps businesses can take to address inequality in the workplace.

Betsy, co-leader of the firm’s Business of Human Rights practice, and Kelly note that understanding these global regulations has assumed heightened importance amid the Black Lives Matter movement and the fact minority communities have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. For example, the article discusses how technology used by law enforcement or in tracking coronavirus outbreaks, while often instrumental in advancing human rights, can cause unintended disparate impacts on minorities.

“Efforts by tech companies to develop learning programs to educate their workforce about the responsible use of technology will also contribute in the mid- and long-term to mitigating any discriminatory impacts of technology,” the article concludes.