Acting Chair Says Much Will Remain the Same at the EEOC

Victoria A. Lipnic, named by President Trump to be acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), told participants in a panel discussion that the commission will continue to enforce harassment and discrimination laws but will also focus on  expanding economic opportunity and job growth. “It is a new day and to the extent [we can] help foster employment opportunity and economic growth … that is something that we will be focused on,” Lipnic said during a panel discussion at Seyfarth Shaw LLP Feb. 9. She vowed that much of the work accomplished in the Obama era will remain in place, including the EEOC's recent emphasis on bystander and civility training, and that she and the agency would continue to try to reduce the backlog of cases they're working on. To align with the EEOC's continued focus on fostering a respectful work environment, businesses should implement a workplace civility training program. This program helps employees understand the importance of respectful interactions, reducing the risk of harassment and discrimination, while also supporting the agency's emphasis on bystander intervention and maintaining a positive workplace culture.