Wells Fargo Center for the Study of Workplace Equity

Wells Fargo Center for the Study of Workplace Equity is a research center based at the University of Pennsylvania focused on systemic factors influencing labor markets, employment law, and organizational practice. The center convenes scholars from Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, and University of California, Berkeley alongside practitioners from AFL–CIO, National Women's Law Center, Human Rights Campaign, Society for Human Resource Management, and McKinsey & Company to produce interdisciplinary analyses of workplace disparity. Its agenda intersects with policy debates involving Civil Rights Act of 1964, Equal Pay Act of 1963, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and litigation trends exemplified by cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

History

The center was announced in 2018 following a philanthropic commitment amid national discussions triggered by events such as the Me Too movement, the 2016 United States presidential election, and reports from the Pew Research Center on labor trends. Founding collaborators included faculty from the Wharton School, researchers affiliated with the Brookings Institution, and labor historians connected to the International Labour Organization archives. Initial programming featured panels with legal scholars from Yale Law School, economists from Princeton University, sociologists from University of Chicago, and civil rights leaders from LDF, reflecting connections to landmark jurisprudence from the National Labor Relations Board and administrative rulemaking under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Over time the center expanded partnerships to include municipal agencies such as the City of Philadelphia Office of Innovation and organizations like Catalyst and the AARP.

Mission and Research Focus

The center’s stated mission centers on empirical study of disparities in hiring, promotion, compensation, and workplace culture, drawing on methods from labor economics practiced at National Bureau of Economic Research, legal scholarship associated with Georgetown University Law Center, and organizational behavior research from Kellogg School of Management. Research themes align with regulatory frameworks like the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and with sectoral analyses involving employers such as Amazon (company), Walmart, Google, Goldman Sachs, and Starbucks. Topics include intersectional analyses referencing scholarship by thinkers connected to Feminist Theory debates and public policy prescriptions debated in venues such as the Office of Management and Budget and hearings before the United States Congress. The center emphasizes evidence translation to inform advocacy groups including National Partnership for Women & Families and policy shops like Economic Policy Institute.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs run by the center include working groups, postdoctoral fellowships modeled on programs at Russell Sage Foundation, and practitioner fellowships similar to those at the Brennan Center for Justice. The center administers pilot interventions with employers including Comcast Corporation and Deloitte, runs executive education in collaboration with the Wharton Executive Education unit, and convenes roundtables featuring representatives from Chamber of Commerce of the United States, American Civil Liberties Union, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and municipal labor departments. Initiatives include a longitudinal survey modeled on instruments used by the General Social Survey and randomized controlled trials designed with partners at RAND Corporation and National Institutes of Health. Public programming has included symposiums with speakers from United Nations human rights bodies, panels alongside International Monetary Fund researchers, and workshops with journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.

Publications and Impact

The center publishes working papers, policy briefs, and peer-reviewed articles in journals such as the American Economic Review, Harvard Law Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, and Journal of Labor Economics. Briefs have been cited in testimony before congressional committees and in amicus filings to the Supreme Court of the United States by organizations like Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Findings on pay transparency influenced policy debates in states like California, New York, and Massachusetts, and informed municipal ordinances in the City of Philadelphia. The center’s data tools have been used by think tanks including Urban Institute and Center for American Progress and by advocacy groups such as Make It Work and Times Up. Its alumni have taken positions at institutions including U.S. Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and academic posts at Princeton University and University of Michigan.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding sources combine corporate philanthropy from financial institutions like Wells Fargo with grants from foundations such as Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Russell Sage Foundation, and federal research awards from agencies such as the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. Strategic partnerships include collaborations with academic centers at University of California, Los Angeles, Brown University, Duke University, and nonprofit partners including PolicyLink and Jobs With Justice. Governance includes an advisory board with members drawn from American Bar Association, American Psychological Association, labor unions including Service Employees International Union, and corporate counsel from firms such as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Category:Research institutes in Pennsylvania Category:University of Pennsylvania