On February 19, the EEOC, through its acting chair Andrea Lucas, pledged rigorous enforcement of civil rights laws against companies that show bias for foreign workers, including visa holders, over US citizens. The change comes amidst the Trump Administration’s wider focus away from protecting immigrants and other demographic groups that have been historically viewed as primary targets of discrimination.… Continue Reading
Last week brought further developments related to the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail what it views as illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. A federal court denied the Trump administration’s motion to stay a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of most elements of President Trump’s Executive Orders 14173 Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity and 14151 Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing (collectively, “the DEI Executive Orders”).… Continue Reading
As anticipated, immediately upon his inauguration, President Trump took swift action in the labor and employment arena. His initial appointments and Executive Orders left no doubt that his administration will make an abrupt and definitive break with his predecessor.
President Trump first appointed new leaders to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”), and then took additional actions aimed at halting and reversing many Biden-era initiatives and policies.… Continue Reading
The U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission has issued its final regulations for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”), providing guidance for employers on implementing the PWFA in their workplaces and understanding how the law will be enforced. The new rules will take effect on June 18, 2024, although the PWFA itself has been in effect since June 27, 2023.… Continue Reading
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) took aggressive enforcement measures this week by filing suit against 15 employers that allegedly failed to submit mandatory EEO-1 workforce demographic reports in prior years, including 2021 and 2022. The lawsuits were brought in federal courts across 10 states, including New Jersey, New York, and Arizona.… Continue Reading
On April 29, 2024, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued final guidance on workplace harassment subject to federal employment discrimination laws. Aptly titled, “Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace” (915.064), this guidance addresses how harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information is defined under EEOC-enforced statutes and provides the analysis for determining whether employer liability is established. … Continue Reading
October 31, 2023 opens the reporting period for private sector employers and federal contractors who are required to report workplace demographic data on an annual basis to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). These submissions are known as EEO-1 Component 1 reports (“EEO-1 reports”). EEO-1 reports must be submitted by the close of the reporting period on December 5, 2023.… Continue Reading
On October 2, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) published its proposed guidance on workplace harassment claims, Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace. The proposal is open for comment through November 1, 2023, in the Federal Register.
Employers will want to prepare for the EEOC’s new standards for employer liability, and review its examples of workplace harassment.… Continue Reading
On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a unanimous opinion, authored by Justice Alito, in Groff v. DeJoy, Postmaster General, 600 U.S. ___ (2023), in which it “clarified” decades-old precedent regarding an employer’s obligation to accommodate the religious beliefs of its employees. The unanimous Court held that, under Title VII, an employer is required to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs unless doing so would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business.… Continue Reading
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and three other federal agencies issued a joint statement vowing to use existing laws to protect employees and the general public from discrimination and bias arising from the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The agencies joining the EEOC in the April 25, 2023, statement include the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division (Division), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). … Continue Reading