{"id":25726,"date":"2023-07-18T19:34:14","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T19:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/07\/18\/equal-employment-opportunity-commission-finally-back-to-full-strength\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:03:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:03:45","slug":"equal-employment-opportunity-commission-finally-back-to-full-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2023\/07\/18\/equal-employment-opportunity-commission-finally-back-to-full-strength\/","title":{"rendered":"Equal Employment Opportunity Commission finally back to full strength"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Kalpana Kotagal to fill out the five-member federal commission in charge of investigating employment discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vote, which came more than a year after Kotagal\u2019s hearing<\/a>, was 49-47, <\/a>along party lines. Her pending appointment was initially stalled in the Senate\u2019s labor committee last year. Kotagal replaces Republican Commissioner Janet Dhillon<\/a> whose term expired last July. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kotagal\u2019s confirmation fills a vacancy that solidifies a Democratic majority on the commission led by Chair Charlotte Burrows, who was renominated in 2019. Even with Kotagal\u2019s green light, the agency of 2,000 employees is still without a general counsel to help process a 20% uptick in discrimination charges filed last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All employers, including federal agencies, are subject to anti-discrimination laws, giving the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission broad jurisdiction and its rulemaking affects millions of workers. The newly complete commission will have plenty to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In January, the EEOC met to discuss threats to employment rights posed by artificial intelligence and automated technology. And last month, the commission began taking up complaints under the newly passed Pregnant Workers Fairness Act<\/a> while resolving ongoing issues pertaining to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs. That effort faced backlash from Republicans in Congress who opposed Kotagal\u2019s nomination as a furtherance of these policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\t