Government Shutdown Update: EEOC Closed

Government Shutdown Update: EEOC Closed

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it is closed because of the federal government shutdown. During this period of federal closure, a limited number of EEOC services are available. Staff will not be available to answer questions from the public or to respond to correspondence from the public. The EEOC will accept charges that must be filed in order to preserve the rights of a claimant during a shutdown; however, these charges will not be investigated. The EEOC will not litigate in the federal courts, no Freedom of Information Act requests will be processed, and the following will be cancelled:

  • Mediations.
  • Federal sector hearings.
  • Decisions on federal employees’ appeals of discrimination complaints.
  • Outreach and education events.

Moreover, all EEOC digital portals will be closed and will not be accessible to the public. It is unclear how the shutdown will impact the opening date for the 2018 EEO-1 filing website; however, experts anticipate a delay in its availability and that the expected March 31, 2019, deadline for 2018 EEO-1 filings will be extended. ThinkHR will continue to monitor EEOC announcements that affect employers.
Read the announcement and contingency plan

Originally posted on ThinkHR.com

EEO-1 Reporting Deadline Moved to June 1

EEO-1 Reporting Deadline Moved to June 1

“Here’s an update on EEO-1  reporting by Cara Crotty, partner with leading national labor and employment law firm (and ThinkHR strategic employment law partner) Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP.”

The new deadline is June 1, but only for this year.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced that it has extended the deadline to submit 2017 EEO-1 report data. The deadline, which was March 31, 2018, will now be June 1, 2018. Although the EEOC provided no explanation, anecdotal reports indicate that the agency was slow to respond to requests for technical assistance, such as adding or removing establishments due to acquisitions and mergers.
Regardless of the reason, employers who were not able to meet the March 31 deadline have a short reprieve to submit their 2017 EEO-1 report data. The extension applies to 2018 only. Next year’s deadline will be March 31, 2019.
Originally Published By ThinkHR.com
Federal Employment Law Update – February 2018

Federal Employment Law Update – February 2018

IRS Releases Publication 15 and W-4 Withholding Guidance for 2018

On January 31, 2018, the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Publication 15 — Introductory Material, which includes the following:

  • 2018 federal income tax withholding tables.
  • Exempt Form W-4.
  • New information on:
    • Withholding allowance.
    • Withholding on supplemental wages.
    • Backup withholding.
    • Moving expense reimbursement.
    • Social Security and Medicare tax for 2018.
    • Disaster tax relief.

Read Publication 15 and further details here.

EEOC Penalty Increases for Failure to Post Required Notices

On January 18, 2018, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a final rule increasing the penalty amount from $534 to $545 for violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) notice posting requirements.
The final rule is effective February 20, 2018.

Originally Published By ThinkHR.com