For businesses owners, the last thing you want to see is a notice from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If you receive anything from the EEOC, it likely means that one of your potential, current or former employees has filed a discrimination complaint against your business based on your actions or the actions of one of your managers, supervisors or employees.
Take this notice seriously because a lost discrimination complaint can wreak havoc on your bottom line through both a damages award and destroyed public image.
Is there a streamlined and confidential process?
Yes. The EEOC mediation process is both streamlined and confidential. This can ensure businesses reduce the amount of time lost to litigation, reduce the costs of litigation and keep the entire process confidential.
How does it work?
It is likely that in the first correspondence, there will be a request if the parties would like to use the EEOC Mediation process. Both have to agree, but either party can initiate it.
The EEOC facilitates the entire process at no cost to either party. They provide an independent, EEOC-trained mediator to work with the party to find a solution.
Is it successful?
Yes, and for New York businesses, the resolution commonly does not include a monetary component. Mediations normally only take a few hours.
This means that, routinely, businesses can settle EEOC disputes without the need for a full investigation or subsequent litigation without spending a huge amount of time, resources or money.
Not for all cases
For extreme cases, EEOC may not offer mediation, and it may not always be advisable for every case.
This is why business owners should run these complaints by their attorneys and ask if mediation is appropriate. Plus, the attorney can be a part of the mediation process as well.
