EEOC’s Conciliation Final Rule to Take Effect in February

A U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission final rule that allows employers to receive more information during a conciliation process to resolve workplace bias claims is slated to take effect in mid-February.

The agency posted the rule on its website Jan. 11. It will become effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, which is scheduled for Jan. 14.

Conciliation is used as an alternative bias resolution process to litigation. Employer groups praised the rulemaking for introducing more transparency into the process, but workers’ rights groups raised concerns about workers being disadvantaged during potential settlement negotiations, while employers have the ...