The Future of the Battle Against Discrimination Through the Eyes of the EEOC

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently approved a Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP), which sets the EEOC’s priorities for the next five years. This gives insight into what actions the EEOC will consider over the next few years to help combat continued discrimination in the workplace. To see the SEP, click here.

Specifically, the SEP prioritizes combating pay discrimination based on race, ethnicity, age, and disability.

The EEOC has also targeted disparate pay, job segregation, harassment, trafficking and other discriminatory practices and policies affecting immigrant, migrant and other vulnerable workers. Such workers are often not aware of their rights under the equal employment laws or may be hesitant to exercise them.

In the updated SEP, the EEOC continues to prioritize the following areas:

• eliminating barriers in recruitment and hiring, including a focus on the lack of diversity in technology and the use of data-driven screening tools;
• protecting vulnerable workers, including immigrant and migrant workers, and underserved communities from discrimination;
• addressing selected emerging and developing issues;
• ensuring equal pay protections for all workers;
• preserving access to the legal system; and
• preventing systemic harassment.

In addition, the updated SEP identifies two new emerging areas of focus:

• complex employment relationships in the on-demand economy which deals less with traditional employment relationships and more with contract workers; and
• backlash discrimination against individuals who are, or appear to be, Muslim or Sikh, or persons of Arab, Middle Eastern or South Asian descent.

In light of the updated SEP, temporary workers and independent contractors can expect the EEOC to pay close scrutiny and enhanced focus on their rights and their contractual relationships with employers in order to ensure compliance with all federal laws.

If you have any questions or seek information about the EEOC’s procedures, laws pertaining workplace discrimination or any other types of employment issues, please contact Lebau & Neuworth at 888-456-2529 or lebauneuworth.com/contact-us.