The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently sent a
proposal to the White House that could end the requirement for large employers to submit EEO-1 Component 1 reports. Although no official rule has been announced yet, this could lead to a significant change in how the government collects workplace demographic data.
Right now, private companies with 100 or more employees and certain federal contractors with 50 or more employees must file EEO-1 reports every year. These reports include employee demographic information, such as job categories, gender, race, and ethnicity. The EEOC has used this information to look for possible patterns of workplace discrimination and sometimes to investigate employers.
If a proposed rule is approved and finalized, employers may no longer have to submit these reports or other similar demographic data. However, the current rules still apply for now. Employers should continue filing EEO-1 reports until an official final rule says otherwise.