SMPHR Weekly Brew — Monday, August 31

Morning, SMPHR fam. It's the last Monday of August, and the HR news cycle did not take a summer break — a Big Four firm just wrote an eight-figure check over how it structured DEI programs, which is worth ten minutes of your attention this week no matter where you sit on the org chart. Grab your coffee; here's what's worth knowing.

This Week in HR

• Deloitte to pay $21.5M to settle claims its DEI programs violated federal civil rights law (HR Dive) — A Big Four firm just paid eight figures for structuring mentorship and hiring goals around race/sex, a clear signal that HR leaders — especially those running affinity or sponsorship programs for multicultural talent — need program design reviewed by counsel now, not after a DOJ subpoena.
• SHRM tentatively backs end of EEO-1 reports, but investor group calls them 'vital' (HR Dive) — If EEO-1 pay-data reporting disappears without a replacement, HR loses one of its few standardized tools for proving (or disproving) pay and representation gaps — worth watching closely if you advocate for equity data internally.
• New research reveals a leadership readiness gap amid rapid workplace change (HR Executive) — Only 42% of senior/middle managers feel ready to lead through today's AI-driven disruption versus 66% of the C-suite — a stark reminder for early-to-mid-career HR pros that visible AI fluency and change-navigation skill is now a fast track to the next level.
• Employers offer loan repayment, 're-recruiting' to attract skilled labor (HR Dive) — With skilled-trade hiring stretching to 56 days, employers are getting creative (loan repayment, mobility stipends, continuous 're-recruiting' of existing staff) — a playbook HR leaders in any tight labor market can borrow from to boost retention.

New in the Learning Lab

• SHRM 2026 HR Trends: Planning for Business Impact (Article, SHRM)
• Mentorship Should Be A Core HR Strategy, Not A 'Nice-To-Have' (Article, Forbes)
• Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe (Video, TED — Simon Sinek)
• Stand Out in a Job Interview (Video, Harvard Business Review)
• DEI's Next Era? Reorientation, Says SHRM's Johnny Taylor Jr. (Article, HR Dive)

Coming Up

• SMPHR Employment Law Legal Update — October 2026, with speaker John Marino
• Community Outreach: No Hunger Holiday — November 2026
• Community Outreach: Salvation Army Angel Tree — December 2026

That's the Brew. Stay sharp out there, and we'll see you in the Learning Lab. 🌿