Supreme Court clerk classes became slightly more diversified between studies conducted in 1998 and 2017, but white males still predominate along with alumni of elite schools and people with connections to "feeder" judges, Mark Joseph Stern writes. He writes that the high court should ideally be more reflective of society at large and notes Justice Neil Gorsuch's selection of Tobi Merritt Edwards Young, thought to be the first Native American tribal citizen hired for a clerkship. Slate (4/16)
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Walmart is trying a dress code at some stores that lets employees wear bluejeans for the first time. The relaxed standard, which also lets staffers wear shirts of any solid color, could give the retailer an edge in a tightening labor market. Bloomberg (free registration) (4/19),Fortune (4/20)
Educate employees about health plan costs Help employees choose the right health benefits by educating them during enrollment, writes Scott Evans, chief product officer for benefitexpress. Give them access to videos, health plan comparisons and analytics showing which choice best fits their needs and budget. Employee Benefit News (4/17)
The HR Leader
Sustainability leaders can achieve more by teaming with HR Sustainability leaders should pair with HR departments to improve their companies in areas such as ethics and pay equity, Sara Enright says. "As a sustainability leader, your team can facilitate this partnership by hosting regular meetings and calls with HR sustainability champions, diversity councils and employee resource groups, creating a space for cross-learning and sharing," she writes. GreenBiz (4/18)
Workplace Chatter
BYU football player gets stuck in school's foam pit A Brigham Young University football player found himself momentarily stuck in the gymnastics team's foam pit recently as he and his teammates tried out the gymnastic equipment. The gymnastics team invited various school athletes to heckle the gymnasts during their routines to build their mental toughness, and afterward the athletes got to try the facilities. SB Nation (4/16)
Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.
