Despite GOP Government Shutdown EEOC Makes Progress In 2014

Despite the lingering effects of the Republican-led government shutdown, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) made progress toward accomplishing its goals and fulfilling its mission during fiscal year 2014, which ended Sept. 30, fighting to overcome extraordinary fiscal constraints and operational challenges.

Jenny R. Yang

“Despite these hurdles, the employees of the EEOC remain committed to meeting the needs, addressing the challenges, and seizing upon the opportunities of the 21st century workforce,” said EEOC Chair Jenny R. Yang. “Increased hiring achieved at the end of FY 2014 and investments in technology should enable us to more effectively investigate charges in a timely fashion, while also improving the quality of our intake and investigations.”

The EEOC won $296.1 million for employment discrimination victims in private and state and local government workplaces through mediation, conciliation and other administrative enforcement during 2014. The EEOC also secured $22.5 million in monetary relief through litigation, and $74 million in monetary relief for federal employees and applicants.

During fiscal 2014, the EEOC continued to implement its strategic Plan and its Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP). The agency met, partially met, or exceeded target results in all 14 measures in the Strategic Plan.

EEOC Enforcement Plan

The SEP establishes priorities and integrates all components of the EEOC’s private, public, and federal sector enforcement. Its purpose is to focus and coordinate the EEOC’s programs in order to have a sustainable impact in reducing and deterring discriminatory practices in the workplace.

The agency received 88,778 private sector charges during fiscal 2014, down by about 5,000 charges from 2013

A total of 87,442 charges were resolved, 9,810 fewer than in FY 2013, due to the Republican-led government shutdown. While a hiring freeze and attrition shrank the EEOC staff between 2012 and 2013, the agency hired more than 300 staff at the end of 2014, adding needed resources for investigating and resolving discrimination charges.

The agency’s outreach programs reached 236,140 persons during the year through 3,512 no-cost educational, training and outreach events. EEOC’s national Training Institute trained more than 18,000 during more than 420 events targeting the EEOC’s enforcement priorities, including small businesses, vulnerable workers, underserved geographic areas and communities, and emphasized new statutory responsibilities, issues related to migrant workers, human trafficking and youth.

During fiscal 2014, the EEOC’s national mediation program secured 7,846 mediated resolutions out of 10,221 conducted and won $144.6 million in benefits for individuals through mediations.

The EEOC filed 133 merits lawsuits during FY 2014. This included 105 individual suits, 11 non-systemic class suits, and 17 systemic suits. Legal staff resolved 136 merits lawsuits for a total recovery of $22.5 million. At the end of the fiscal year, the EEOC had 228 cases on its active docket.

The agency continues to build a strong national systemic enforcement program.

During the fiscal year, the agency completed 260 systemic investigations, resulting in 78 settlements and conciliation agreements securing approximately $13 million in monetary relief. Systemic lawsuits comprised 13% of all merits suit filings, and by the end of the year, represented 25% of all active merits suits, the largest proportion of systemic suits on EEOC’s active docket since tracking began in FY 2006.

In its federal sector program, the agency resolved 3,767 appeals, including 43% within 180 days of their receipt. During fiscal 2014, the EEOC received 4,003 appeals of final agency actions in the federal sector, down 5.7% from the 4,244  appeals in 2013.

The EEOC’s FY 2014 PAR is posted on the agency’s website at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/plan/2014par.pdf. Comprehensive enforcement and litigation statistics for fiscal 2014 will be available on the agency’s website in the near future.

Further information about the EEOC is available on its website www.eeoc.gov.

[subscribe2]