The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it will delay the opening of the 2019 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection and the 2020 EEO-3 and EEO-5 data collections because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The EEOC notice informs filers that it will instead collect EEO-1 data for both 2019 and 2020 calendar years beginning in March 2021.

The EEOC collects workforce data from employers with more than 100 employees. The data is collected using specific reports/surveys, one of which is the EEO-1 report, and is used for a variety of purposes including enforcement, self-assessment by employers, and research. The EEO-1 report collects data about employees grouped by sex, race, ethnicity, and job categories. This information is shared with other authorized federal agencies in order to avoid duplicate collection of data and reduce the burden placed on employers. According to the EEOC, EEO-1 Report data is used “to support civil rights enforcement and to analyze employment patterns, such as the representation of women and minorities within companies, industries, or regions.” Although the data is confidential, aggregated data is available to the public.

Employer Considerations

Given that this announcement merely delays the data collection, employers should ensure that the relevant 2019 and 2020 data is collected and maintained in anticipation of the future filing date. According to the EEOC, it expects to begin collecting the 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 Component 1 data in March 2021 and will notify filers of the precise date the surveys will open.

Additional Resources:

EEOC – Training Institute

EEOC – Publications

EEOC – Employers

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Lizet Ramirez – Lizet is a Client Compliance Manager for Sequoia One, where she works with our clients to optimize and streamline benefits compliance. In her free time, Lizet enjoys live music, travel, hiking and spa days.