Chicago, Ill. (October 22, 2020) - In an
extremely positive, long overdue development, the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently proposed amendments to its
procedural rules to increase the effectiveness of its conciliation
process after the federal agency finds reasonable cause on an
administrative charge of discrimination.
Under section 706 of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
Congress required the EEOC to “endeavor to eliminate any such
alleged unlawful employment practice by informal methods of
conference, conciliation, and persuasion.” In other
words, the EEOC may only commence a civil action against an
employer if it has not been able to secure a conciliation agreement
after proceeding with conciliation in good faith.
