Lebau & Neuworth Applaud EEOC Battle Priorities Against Workplace Discrimination

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Janet Dhillon recently released strategic priorities on which it seeks to focus in the year 2020. The release gives insight into the categories on which the EEOC is going to focus during the course of the year to help combat discrimination in the workplace. To see the full text of Chair Dhillon’s priorities, click here.

Chair Dhillon announced five priority categories for the EEOC in 2020, and it seems as if customer service is the top priority for the EEOC this year. The EEOC wants to handle employees’ discrimination complaints promptly and fairly while remaining committed to providing excellent Customer Service through its front-line staff. Beyond customer service, the other top priorities are:

• Continuing to provide robust compliance assistance. The EEOC will focus on providing high-quality and easy to understand outreach and education throughout private, public and federal sectors; it will prioritize outreach to the small business community.
• Enhancing efforts to reach vulnerable workers. The EEOC wants to make adjustments as necessary to ensure that it is identifying, reaching, and effectively serving vulnerable workers -- including immigrants, migrant workers and underserved communities -- throughout the nation’s workforce.
• Strategically allocating its resources. The EEOC wants to make a renewed commitment to meaningful and effective conciliation efforts and build on its successful mediation program and conduct its litigation cases as vigorous advocates.
• Continuing its efforts to be a model workplace. The EEOC wants to build a productive and diverse workplace, and foster a culture of inclusion and respect among all its employees.

This announcement of priorities is a great news for employees! It truly seems like the EEOC paying close scrutiny in delivering excellent customer service and making itself accessible to everyone including small businesses and vulnerable workers.

If you have any questions or seek information and advice about the EEOC’s procedures and laws pertaining workplace discrimination or any other types of employment issues, please contact Lebau & Neuworth at (410) 296-3030 or lebauneuworth.com/contact-us.