On November 4, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released for comment a draft of the next EEOC Strategic Plan. Accordingly, this draft of the Strategic Plan encompasses Fiscal Years 2022-2026. It is important to note that this draft plan is still under review by the EEOC. Given that, the plan is subject to its full approval before becoming final. Earlier, the EEOC released a new “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster. Basically, this new poster updates and replaces the EEOC’s previous “EEO is the Law” poster and poster supplement.
Background of the EEOC Strategic Plan
In summary, the Strategic Plan serves as a framework for achieving the EEOC’s mission through law enforcement activities. This includes using education and outreach to:
- prevent employment discrimination, and
- advance equal employment opportunities.
Therefore, the agency creates the plan using three values that form the basis of the agency’s culture and guide its daily work:
- commitment to equal employment opportunity,
- accountability, and
- integrity.
Overview of the Latest EEOC Strategic Plan
Indeed, the process for developing the Fiscal Years 2022-2026 Strategic Plan was highly inclusive and collaborative. Firstly, working groups drafted the original plan. Specifically, the working groups included staff from EEOC:
- headquarters,
- field offices,
- Commissioner’s offices, and
- the agency’s union.
At the present time, the latest Strategic Plan includes the following goals:
- Combat and Prevent Employment Discrimination through the Strategic Application of EEOC’s Law Enforcement Authorities.
- Prevent Employment Discrimination and Advance Equal Employment Opportunities through Education and Outreach.
- Strive for Organizational Excellence through [the EEOC’s] People, Practices, and Technology.
So now the agency seeks input from the public. This public review aligns with the EEOC’s goal to make sure the Strategic Plan genuinely reflects the agency’s values and those who have a stake in the agency’s mission. Explicitly, the values of those required to follow EEOC rules and regulations. The deadline for public input is December 5th, 2022.
The EEOC’s Responsibility Surrounding the Strategic Plan
In conclusion, the EEOC is the leading federal law enforcement agency dedicated to preventing and remedying employment anti-discrimination laws. The agency is also responsible for advancing equal opportunity for all in the workplace since 1965. For this reason, Congress requires the EEOC to develop and post a strategic plan on its public website every four fiscal years. These plans lay the foundation for developing more detailed annual plans, budgets, and related program performance information in the future. Presently, the EEOC is operating under the Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018-2022