Will EEOC Intake Fumble Phone Transition, Bolster Company Defense?
Employment litigation has boomed over the last decade or so, and those cases can unfold over years—especially if they go all the way to the Supreme Court. But, as the Chinese proverb says, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Lawsuits against employers are often initiated by an alleged victim contacting the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by phone. That fundamental communication process is in a major transition as the EEOC continues to bring in-house all of the work that had been done during the last few years at a call center. This major undertaking—the agency received about 90,000 calls in the last month—has created controversy on the EEOC board. Here’s an article from Workforce.com regarding the situation that posted on December 17: “EEOC Hires Temporary Workers to Staff Phones During Transition.” On Tuesday, February 19, the EEOC approved the hiring of 61 permanent staff to help field calls. In mid-March, they will replace the 37 temporary employees who
