EEOC Seeks Input from the Public

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently held what it called an “unprecedented” public meeting to gather views on what its priorities should be over the next three years. Participants included representatives of employers, employees and advocacy groups discussing private and government employment.

The EEOC says it will use the input when creating its Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP), which should be in place by October 1, 2012. Before the public meeting, the EEOC sought written opinions about what the agency’s priorities should be to most effectively combat workplace discrimination. The agency also asked for recommendations on improving customer service, outreach and enforcement. More than 80 organizations and individuals responded to the requests for written input.

At the public meeting, several advocacy groups asked the EEOC to focus its attention on pregnancy and caregiver discrimination, discrimination in hiring and pay, and retaliation,. Both employer and employee representatives wanted greater consistency in the practices and procedures of different EEOC field offices. Participants from various groups asked for more outreach and education, including a greater use of social media. Panelists representing the federal sector said they wanted more training for managers on supervision and for non-managerial employees on using the complaints process.

The EEOC will accept written comments from the public on issues raised in the meeting for 15 days following the July 18 meeting date. The written testimony of the roundtable participants is available on the meeting’s web page.

Categories: General Business Compliance
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