The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Their fiscal year, which ended in September, was quite lucrative for the EEOC, as they recovered over $525 million for discrimination victims. Over 89,000 private sector complaints were filed, and the EEOC filed 142 lawsuits. We don’t see them easing up on compliancy lawsuits any time soon.
Here are some things to keep in mind as an employer:
- Know your state and federal laws and regulations with respect to your organization.
- Take steps to issue or re-issue company policies regarding harassment, retaliation, and other forms of discrimination in the workplace.
- Schedule some anti-harassment training for your employees, making sure that they know how to alert you to problems in the workplace — before going to the EEOC.
- Update job descriptions and review hiring tests to make sure that everything is job-related.
- See that similarly-situated employees are being treated equally, especially when it comes to compensation.
- Familiarize yourself with the EEOC “Strategic Enforcement Plan”, which the EEOC continues to focus on.
- Implement appropriate workplace policies and procedures as required by Federal and State Laws, and conduct regular training to minimize threats.
- Be prepared for mandatory paid sick leave and other forms of leave.
- Ensure your employment application is compliant with EEOC regulations.
- Treat any claim that is filed seriously.
Fighting the EEOC is very time consuming and expensive for Employers. This is a great time for employers to review their policies and procedures, perform HR audits, and ask for guidance from a consultant if further guidance is needed.
Contact Alternative HR today if you need assistance with EEOC compliancy.