EEOC- WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR YOU?

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)- The primary U.S Agency for enforcing civil rights and equal opportunity in Federal and private sector workplaces is considering these changes which will weaken access to workers:

· Potential closure of EEOC field offices- that provide one-on-one consultation in communities throughout the nation to working men and women seeking to file a legal claim on unlawful employment practices.

· Possible privatization of hundreds of federal jobs- currently held by competent and knowledgeable EEOC staff to for-profit contractors.

· Possible elimination of the right to a hearing- for Federal employees with workplace discrimination claims against their Agencies.

· Proposed outside contractor staffed National Contact Center- which may add layers to the process of filing a charge or getting an answer to complex substantive questions regarding workplace discrimination.

· Transition to E-filing of claims which shuts out workers - such as low-wage earners, non-English speakers, or the functionally illiterate, who do not have the computer or language skills necessary to access computers.

· Proposed budgetary de-emphasis on investigation and litigation- in favor of outreach to employers and voluntary mediation, which will take the teeth away from the EEOC's purpose as a law enforcement agency.

Know your rights and make your voices heard!

A “know your rights” fact sheet provided by the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE)