By: Ala Salameh, Andrew Scroggins, and Christopher DeGroff Seyfarth Synopsis: On January 2, 2025, the EEOC released a report underscoring that a gender pay gap among federal employees has an age component as well; the gap is larger for those age 40 and over relative to those under age 40. In light of these findings ..read more

By: Taylor Iaculla, Yoon-Woo Nam, and Andrew L. Scroggins Seyfarth Synopsis: On December 19, 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) published a new fact sheet titled “Wearables in the Workplace: Using Wearable Technologies Under Federal Employment Discrimination Laws.” The fact sheet describes some of the technologies employees may be fitted with, the types of ..read more

By: Adam Rongo, Andrew Scroggins, and Christopher DeGroff Seyfarth Synopsis: On November 15, 2024, the EEOC released its Agency Financial Report (“AFR”) for Fiscal Year 2024. The AFR is intended to provide a description of the Agency’s financial management and offer high-level performance information. This year’s edition marks the sixth version of the publication, following ..read more

Authors: Christopher J. DeGroff, Andrew L. Scroggins, Samantha Brooks, James P. Nasiri and Ridhima Bhalla Seyfarth Synopsis: Following a handful of sluggish years in terms of EEOC litigation activity, the Commission returned to form by filing 144 merit lawsuits in Fiscal Year 2023. Given that the EEOC finally secured its Democratic majority and had a ..read more

By: Anthony LaPlaca, Dawn Solowey, Andrew Scroggins & Adrienne Lee Seyfarth Synopsis:  In June 2024, Seyfarth published a blog article warning construction industry employers of recent anti-harassment guidelines issued by the EEOC.  We predicted that the EEOC has “put the construction industry squarely in its sights.”[1] In this follow-up Alert, we discuss recent cases confirming ..read more

By: Christopher Kelleher, Andrew Scroggins, and Christopher DeGroff Seyfarth Synopsis: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has issued a report that should have high tech employers on high alert. According to the EEOC’s findings, analysis, and enforcement information, there are barriers to equal employment for high tech jobs, which the Agency intends to address through ..read more

By: Rachel V. See Seyfarth Synopsis: EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling, a Republican who first joined the EEOC in 2020, has announced his departure from the Commission in August 2024. Sonderling’s tenure was marked by his significant contributions to discussions on artificial intelligence in employment, establishing him as a leading authority on the subject. His departure leaves the EEOC with a 3-1 Democratic majority, and so it does not alter the Commission’s current political balance. EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling has announced publicly that he will be departing the EEOC in August and ..read more

By: Matthew J. Gagnon Seyfarth Synopsis: Government agencies and private plaintiffs’ counsel alike send a clear message: employers must take pay equity seriously. One way employers can address this message is by considering periodic audits of their pay practices and/or investigations of any unexplainable pay gaps or irregularities. Employers are often concerned about how those audits and investigations could be used against them if an employee were to bring an equal pay lawsuit in court. Several recent decisions have clarified the extent to which audit and investigation files can be kept ..read more

Authors: Christopher Kelleher and Andrew Scroggins Seyfarth Synopsis: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has issued guidance tailored to the construction industry regarding compliance with anti-harassment laws. This lines up with our prediction in early 2024 that the EEOC had put the construction industry squarely in its sights. The guidance is important for construction-industry leaders and employers to understand to prevent and remedy workplace harassment, and to avoid potential harassment liability. On June 18, 2024, the EEOC issued its Promising Practices for Preventing ..read more

In a significant legislative development, the Illinois House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved Senate Bill 2979, with a vote of 81 to 30, which amends the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) to limit damages to one violation per individual, rather than each instance their biometric information is captured, collected, disclosed, redisclosed, or otherwise disseminated. The bill also amended the definition of “written release” to include an electronic signature. Last month, we reported on the Illinois Senate’s passage of the bill by a vote of 4 ..read more