How Chezie Helps You Mitigate DEI Risk in Today’s Political Climate

The DEI landscape is changing fast—and not in ways many companies expected.

With a wave of recent executive orders and increased scrutiny of DEI initiatives, it's more important than ever to ensure your employee communities are legally compliant, structurally sound, and adaptable. At Chezie, we’re committed to helping organizations continue fostering inclusive workplaces while navigating this shifting regulatory environment. That’s why we’ve made strategic updates to our platform—to protect your ERGs and communities from emerging legal risks without compromising engagement and belonging.

What’s Changed: A Legal Environment in Flux

In early 2025, the federal government issued a series of executive orders—EO 14151, EO 14173, and EO 14168—aimed at dismantling DEI-related mandates, particularly in federal agencies and among contractors. These orders:

• Prohibit DEI-based hiring, training, or promotional preferences based on race, gender, or other protected statuses.
• Mandate “merit-based” employment practices and require federal contractors to certify compliance.
• Redefine “sex” as strictly biological, impacting gender identity-related policies in workplaces tied to federal funding.

At the same time, recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rulings have reinforced the National Labor Relations Act’s Section 8(a)(2), which prohibits employer-dominated workplace groups. ERGs that are heavily influenced by leadership, discuss workplace conditions, or serve as proxy negotiation bodies may now pose significant legal risk.

Together, these changes create a complex—but manageable—landscape for People, DEI, and Legal teams.

How Chezie Helps You Stay Compliant

We believe companies shouldn’t have to choose between inclusion and compliance. Chezie’s latest features are designed to help you do both. Here’s how:

Custom Join Forms

Tailor what questions are asked when employees join an ERG or community. This helps:

• Ensure open, inclusive participation without identity-based restrictions.
• Align membership questions with neutral, non-discriminatory language.
• Avoid practices that could be construed as preferential or exclusionary.

Event Approvals & Oversight

Our approval workflows allow DEI, People, Workplace, or Finance teams to review and sign off on community events before they go live. This gives your company:

• Visibility into all ERG activity—from guest speakers to budgets.
• The ability to flag high-risk content or restructure events to reduce legal exposure.
• Documentation of oversight—a useful compliance layer if questions ever arise.

Editable Permissions

Set granular permissions to ensure users only access the data and tools they need. With editable roles, you can:

• Restrict sensitive information (like demographics or participation metrics) to appropriate users.
• Limit administrative privileges to community leads, ensuring ERGs remain employee-led.
• Avoid employer overreach, staying compliant with NLRB rulings that prohibit management control over employee groups.

We’re Evolving Alongside the Legal Landscape

We’re closely monitoring federal orders, NLRB guidance, and broader legislative trends. Our team is committed to evolving Chezie’s tools and templates to help our customers future-proof their ERGs and employee communities—while still celebrating the unique identities and voices that make workplaces thrive.

As the rules shift, one thing remains true: inclusive workplaces are resilient workplaces. Chezie is here to help you protect, nurture, and sustain them—safely and strategically.

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Ready to protect your ERGs while keeping your DEI programs strong? Book a demo with Chezie to see how our platform helps you stay compliant with the latest executive orders and NLRB rulings—without compromising on community, culture, or inclusion.