EEOC Launches Online Inquiry and Appointment System for the Public in Five Offices

"The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that five of its offices have launched a new Online Inquiry and Appointment System. The system will allow individuals to electron­ically submit initial inquiries and requests for intake interviews with the agency. Initial inquiries and intake interviews are typically the first steps for individuals seeking to file a charge of discrimination with EEOC.

The EEOC receives about 200,000 inquiries per year through the mail, in person, and by phone. About 90,000 of those inquiries become formal charges of discrimination filed with the agency, making the charge-filing process the agency's most common interaction with the public. This new online system is part of the EEOC's ACT Digital initiative to improve service to the public, streamline the administrative process, and reduce the use of paper submissions and files.

The EEOC launched the new Online Inquiry and Appointment System on March 13 in the following five offices: Charlotte, Chicago, New Orleans, Phoenix and Seattle. People living or working within 100 miles of these EEOC offices will be able to use the online system to submit an inquiry and schedule an intake interview. Individuals can access the Online Inquiry and Appointment System at https://publicportal.eeoc.gov/Portal/ or from EEOC's website at https://www.eeoc.gov/employees/online_inquiry.cfm. The agency plans to evaluate the public's experience with the new system in these five offices prior to a nationwide rollout later this fiscal year..."

EEOC Online Inquiry

Digest of EEOC Law(2016)

"The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the latest edition of its federal sector Digest of Equal Employment Opportunity Law (EEO Digest), which is available online.

This edition (Fiscal Year 2016, Volume 4) features a special article entitled Discrimination on the Basis of Mental Health Conditions Under the ADA and Rehabilitation Act.

"Unlike physical disabilities, which are often recognizable, mental health impairments are often hidden," said Carlton M. Hadden, director of EEOC's Office of Federal Operations (OFO). "Federal agencies should be mindful of the unique needs and obstacles that employees with mental health conditions face in the workplace."

The EEO Digest, a quarterly publication prepared by OFO, features a wide variety of recent Commission decisions and federal court cases of interest. The Digest also includes hyperlinks so that stakeholders can easily access the full decisions which have been summarized..."

EEOC Law

EEOC Issues a Statement by Chair Jenny R. Yang to Address Workplace Discrimination Against Individuals Who Are, or Are Perceived to Be, Muslim or Middle Eastern

"In the wake of tragic events at home and abroad, EEOC urges employers and employees to be particularly mindful of instances of harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in the workplace against vulnerable communities. 

EEOC Chair Jenny R. Yang released the following statement:

"America was founded on the principle of religious freedom.  As a nation, we must continue to seek the fair treatment of all, even as we grapple with the concerns raised by the recent terrorist attacks. When people come to work and are unfairly harassed or otherwise targeted based on their religion or national origin, it undermines our shared and longstanding values of tolerance and equality for all.

"We commend employers who have already taken steps to issue or re-issue policies on preventing harassment, retaliation, and other forms of discrimination in the workplace, and we encourage all employers to remain vigilant and to communicate their commitment to inclusive workplaces throughout their organizations. Workers who have experienced discrimination at work or in applying for jobs should report these incidents to the appropriate workplace official and to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or its state and local partners. We urge all employees to re-affirm these values of tolerance and equality in their interactions with their co-workers and show that harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated in America's workplaces."

Today, EEOC also released two resource documents, in question-and-answer format, explaining federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination against individuals who are, or are perceived to be, Muslim or Middle Eastern. One Q&A is for employees, and the other is for employers. The Qs & As assist employers and employees in understanding their rights and responsibilities under the federal laws enforced by EEOC. The documents encourage proactive communication among employers and employees to prevent and correct discrimination..."
Muslims and discrimination

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Supreme Court: A Legal Analysis of Young v. United Parcel Service

"In 2015, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Young v. United Parcel Service. 1 In the case, a United Parcel Service (UPS) worker named Peggy Young challenged her employer’s refusal to grant her a light-duty work assignment while she was pregnant, claiming that UPS’s actions violated the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA).2 In a highly anticipated ruling, the Justices fashioned a new test for determining when an employer’s refusal to provide accommodations for a pregnant worker constitutes a violation of the PDA, and the Court sent the case back to the lower court for reconsideration in light of these new standards.
This report begins with a discussion of the facts in the Young case, followed by an overview of the PDA. The report then provides an analysis of the Young case, its implications, and a potential legislative response..."
Pregnancy

EEOC Issues Updated Pregnancy Discrimination Guidance

"The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued an update of its Enforcement Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination and Related Issues (Guidance), along with a question and answer document and a fact sheet for small businesses.  All are available on the EEOC's website at http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/enforcement_guidance.cfm.

The updates to the Guidance are limited to several pages about the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Young v. UPS, issued in March 2015. The updated Guidance reflects the Supreme Court's conclusion that women may be able to prove unlawful pregnancy discrimination if the employer accommodated some workers but refused to accommodate pregnant women. The Court explained that employer policies that are not intended to discriminate on the basis of pregnancy may still violate the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) if the policy imposes significant burdens on pregnant employees without a sufficiently strong justification..."

Pregnancy discrimination

Race and National Origin Discrimination Persist 50 Years after EEOC’s Founding

"Despite significant progress in the 50 years since the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) first opened its doors in 1965, the problems of discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities remain a reality in 21st century America, a panel of experts told the Commissioners of the EEOC at a meeting held at Miami Dade College today

This is the first public Commission meeting held outside of Washington, D.C. in more than a decade. The Commission took the step of meeting in Miami due, in part, to the multicultural and ethnically diverse population in south Florida, and the wide range of employers in the state, from agriculture, to tourism, to multinational corporations.

"Over the past 50 years, the Commission has made great strides in promoting equal employment opportunity for America's workers," said EEOC Chair Jenny R. Yang. "Never before in our nation's history has the American workplace been more diverse and inclusive than it is today. Yet, across the country, we continue to see persistent barriers to opportunity based on race, color and national origin. At the EEOC, we are working every day to remove these barriers to achieve broad and sustained compliance with our anti-discrimination laws."..."Race and national origin discrimination

New 'Digest of EEO Law' Issued by EEOC

"The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced that the latest edition of its federal sector Digest of Equal Employment Opportunity Law, is now available online. 

This quarterly publication, prepared by the EEOC's Office of Federal Operations (OFO), features a wide variety of recent Commission decisions and federal court cases of interest. Addition­ally, it contains a special article entitled The Law of Harassment: Assisting Agencies in Developing Effective Anti-Harassment Policies. 

"The article on harassment contains an overview of the applicable statutes as well as recent case law," said OFO Director Carlton M. Hadden. "The article should provide helpful information to our stakeholders when they are drafting anti-harassment policies." 

The Digest contains summaries of noteworthy decisions issued by the EEOC. This edition features cases involving attorneys' fees, class complaints, compensatory damages, dismissals, findings on the merits, remedies, sanctions, settlement agree­ments, stating a claim, summary judgment and timeliness. .."EEOC Laws