Tweet
The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced today a revised their equal opportunity (EO) policy that now newly delineates two new categories: gender identity and pregnancy. The following is the DOL press release, which nicely quotes Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on the revised policy:
US Department of Labor announces renewed commitment to fair treatment and equal opportunity for all of its employees
New policy statements prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and pregnancyWASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its full commitment to implementing equal employment opportunity policies for all department employees and applicants. The policies ensure equal protections for all employees and applicants regardless of race; color; religion; national origin; sex, including pregnancy and gender identity; age; disability, whether physical or mental; genetic information; status as a parent; sexual orientation; or other non-merit factor. New, robust statements signed by Secretary Solis include updated policies on prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender identity and pregnancy.
Secretary Solis strongly supports fair equal employment opportunity policies, and creating diversity and fairness in the workplace.
“I am expressing my personal commitment to ensure that the U.S. Department of Labor is a model workplace, free from unlawful discrimination and harassment, which fosters a work environment that fully utilizes the capabilities of every employee,” said Secretary Solis. “It is my goal that we achieve and maintain a high-quality, diverse workforce at all organizational levels throughout the department.”
The Labor Department is required to issue annual written policy statements expressing the secretary’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and a workplace free of discriminatory harassment, pursuant to 29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1614, Federal Sector Equal Employment Opportunity, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Management Directive 715. The EEOC’s directive identifies minimum requirements for the policy statements.
The statements issued by Secretary Solis articulate stronger protections and establish responsibilities to ensure meaningful adherence to equal employment opportunity throughout the department. They have been disseminated to all current employees and will be disseminated to new employees during orientation as well as to employees who are promoted into supervisory ranks.
The department’s policies on equal employment opportunity and harassing conduct in the workplace can be viewed at http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc/crc-internal/eeo.htm and http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc/crc-internal/Policy-Statement-on-Harassing-Conduct-in-the-Workplace.htm.
6 Comments
A lot of hot airwith no legal ramifications. Until such a time as we are covered under legislation or by case law, we are f*cked. We need to be covered under an amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Call your Congress Critter today and demand it through the American Equality Bill.
I’m afraid that’s correctThere are no enforcement provisions. If a supervisor does discriminate, there’s no legal way of doing anything about it.
If someone is fired for being pregnant, they must complain to the EEOC. The EEOC has legal authority under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act to investigate and take further action.
However… it has no legal authority to do so for either gays or trans people. A complaint can be made, recorded, but neither investigated nor acted on. They don’t have the legal authority to do so under any legislation.
Here’s the legislation they implement:
http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statu…
This is a scarecrow (and a useful one) but not a watchdog with teeth. It is illusory.
Note however…That they are allowed to investigate discrimination on the basis of sex. Under the Schroer decision, then it is arguable that discrimination against trans people may be covered. A directive to that effect may be issued, but it might also be ignored.
SPAMMER, of course
The more I look at it…Yes, Trans people are covered after all, with the EEOC having the authority under the Schroer decision to consider that Trans people are covered by Chapter VII of the Civil Rights Act. Which they are empowered to enforce.
Of course, this interpretation may be discarded with a change of Administration, but for now, it’s real after all, even if not enshrined in unambiguous legislation (yet).
Well, well. Well Done Diana N., who deserves most of the credit for this, according to my sources.
Gays are not covered though. So we need to make sure they are, don’t we? As a priority, or all our words condemning GLB(t) organisations for throwing us under the bus are mere hypocrisy. We don’t have any excuse, we know what happens with “incrementalism” like that, having been victims of it ourselves.
Hilda Solis is one of – if not the – best member of Obama’s cabinet.