EEOC's Revised Proposal To Collect Pay Data Keeps Focus On Pay Discrimination Agenda

As we reported previously, enforcement of equal pay laws and remedying of pay disparities continue to be top priorities for the U.S.Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and U.S. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). The EEOC again highlighted this ongoing focus this past week when it announced revisions to its February 2016 proposal to collect pay and hours-worked data as part of the annual EEO-1 reporting process. In announcing the revised proposal, EEOC Chair Jenny Yang emphasized the agency's view that pay discrimination remains a "persistent problem" for many workers and reiterated the government's belief that "[c]ollecting pay data is a significant step forward in addressing discriminatory pay practices." According to the Q&As accompanying the EEOC's EEO-1 reporting changes, the EEOC and OFCCP will use the pay data collected via the annual EEO-1 reports to "focus agency investigations," evaluate complaints regarding pay discrimination,