Today’s guest post comes from Susan Smith Erdelyi, Esquire, Marks Gray, Jacksonville. She will be presenting at the Florida Law Alliance Fall Employment Law Conference taking place on Friday, November 10, 2017 with EEOC District Director Michael Farrell:

Did you know that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is becoming paperless? That’s right. The agency now uses a portal for employer position statements and no longer accepts paper documents from employers. So, if your employer/client is still mailing paper documents to the EEOC, it’s time to step aboard the EEOC Respondent Portal.

How Does It Work?

The EEOC now issues a “Notice of Charge of Discrimination” to the employer notifying the employer that a “Charge of Discrimination” has been filed with the agency. The notice is typically received by the employer via email unless the EEOC does not have a contact with an email address for the employer. The EEOC has compiled a list of organizations with contact information and is in the process of adding information to the list. The first time you sign in to the portal, you will see an Add/update Organization Contact Information pop up. This is where you can enter your information to be included in the EEOC system.

The initial notice (which typically goes to the employer) contains an EEOC charge number, a web address for the portal and a password. This password will open the portal on the discrimination charge for 10 days. If you wait too long, you may be locked out.

After you log onto the portal, you can view and download the charge, and electronically submit documents to the EEOC. The system will also advise you of possible actions or responses and identify your EEOC point of contact for each charge.

Eventually, the entire system will be paperless. The EEOC is in the process of rolling out the employee portal.

Kudos to the EEOC for implementing its new robust online system. Questions? Check out the system on “The EEOC Respondent Portal User’s Guide” on the www.eeoc.gov website.

Join us in Fort Lauderdale in November

If you would like to learn more, EEOC District Director Michael Farrell will join me on stage on Friday, November 10, 2017, for the Florida Law Alliance Fall Employment Law Conference at the Royal Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel.

Continuing Education

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has approved this course for 5.0 PDCs. HRCI has also approved this course for 5.0 Recertification Credits (General).The course has been approved for Continuing education credits are available.

Overnight Accommodations Needed?

A group rate of $159 (single or double occupancy) plus tax is available to all attendees the night of November 9. Reservations should be made by calling Sonesta Fort Lauderdale at 954-302-5205 and ask for the Florida Law Alliance rate. After October 9, reservations will be accepted based on availability at the prevailing hotel rate. The cost of overnight accommodations is not included in the registration fee.

Registration

Cost is $50/per person and includes a breakfast, lunch, valet parking and seminar materials.

Click here to register online.

Click here to download the seminar brochure.

If you have any questions, please contact me at gail.lamarche@henlaw.com or by phone at 239-344-1186.