Employee resource groups (ERGs), also known as affinity groups, are employee-driven groups focused on a shared and often protected characteristic, life experience or interest. These groups have proliferated, with roughly 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies, along with a growing number of mid-size and small companies, offering ERGs. Lauded for positive business, professional and personal benefits, ERGs have become an asset across all types of work environments.
This article explores the benefits, potential legal pitfalls and considerations specifically for ERGs in unionized workforces and offers practical ways for employers to implement effective ERGs while minimizing associated risks.
