A final word (for now) on the EEO-1 reports that you just love to hate

Is that glass half-full, or is it half-empty?

Think about your answer as I provide you with some breaking news on “What You Should Know about EEOC and the Publication of the Notice of Information Collection Regarding the EEO-1.”

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. If you have 100 employees, you still need to file your EEO-1 by the end of September. (Certain federal contractors with 50 employees will have to file too.) And that EEO-1 must include both the Component 1 data (i.e., the demographic employee data that filers have had to include since like forever) and the dreaded Component 2 data (i.e., lots of W-2 wage data and hours) for calendar years 2017 and 2018.

But here’s the good news, the EEOC is not renewing its request for authorization to collect Component 2.

Why? Well, it seems that the EEOC underestimated the overall financial burden of completing the EEO-1. How much so? Check out the EEOC’s press release:

Pursuant to the updated methodology employed in the Notice, the EEOC estimates that the burden associated with submitting Component 1 and 2 data for 2017 would be $614 million, and $622 million for 2018.  By contrast, in 2016, the EEOC estimated that the burden to employers for filing Component 1 and 2 reports would be $53.5 million in each of 2017 and 2018. 

I’ll pause for a bit to allow you to clean up some of the brain matter that your exploding head just blew onto your framed SHRM-CP certificate.

But don’t get too far ahead of your skis. If you think the EEO-1 may be going away for good after this year, well, it isn’t. That’s because “the EEOC believes the proven utility of Component 1 to EEOC’s mission justifies its continued collection….Component 1 EEO-1 data serves as a valuable resource for EEOC’s analysis of industries and regions as well as for investigators in assessing allegation of discrimination.”

So, is that glass half-full or half-empty?

Whatever your perspective, maybe pour it out, fill it with something stronger if you’re so inclined (just wait until you leave the office), and enjoy your weekend.