Earlier in the week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced here that it had released its draft of its Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP).
Once finalized, the SEP will establish the EEOC’s upcoming enforcement priorities in its work to advance equal employment opportunity and prevent and remedy discrimination in the workplace.
Some of the EEOC’s priorities in this SEP include:
- Protecting more vulnerable workers from discrimination, such as people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, individuals with arrest or conviction records, LGBTQI+ individuals, temporary workers, older workers, individuals employed in low-wage jobs, and persons with limited literacy or English proficiency;
- Reversing employer use of artificial intelligence to target job advertisements, recruit applicants, or make or assist in hiring decisions where such systems intentionally exclude or adversely impact protected groups;
- Protecting individuals affected by pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions and pregnancy-related disabilities, and enforcing the provisions of the newly enacted Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for those affected by pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions
- Addressing discrimination influenced by or arising as backlash in response to COVID-19 and other local, national or global events; and
- Preserving access to the legal system by focusing on overly broad waivers, releases, non-disclosure agreements, or non-disparagement agreements.
If only we had someone — an insider — to share the EEOC’s playbook with employers — offering them some best practices and tips on how to avoid the EEOC’s crosshairs.
Oh, I’ve got your back.
EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas will join us on Zoom on Friday, January 20, 2023, at Noon ET to discuss the EEOC’s enforcement priorities, expound on some of her passions (including battling religious discrimination), and answer your hypothetical questions for a friend without giving any specific legal advice.
(She may say, “It depends.” After all, she is a lawyer.)
All attendees will receive one free voucher for use towards a no-cause finding on your company’s next EEOC Charge of Discrimination not have to pay anything because the Zoom is free.
Sound good? Click here (https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvf–rqjkiH9bfR3tsk6OUWYt6eAga8r2W) to register. But, hurry up! Space is limited to 1000 people.
Have a nice weekend and I’ll see you on Zoom next Friday, January 20, 2023 at Noon ET.