The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently issued its Employer Best Practices for Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities to supplement its 2007 Enforcement Guidance: Unlawful Disparate Treatment of Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities. Caregiver responsibilities include: childcare, eldercare, or care for a disabled individual.
While the Guidance describes the circumstances under which discrimination against workers with caregiving responsibilities might occur, the Best Practices suggests proactive measures an employer may undertake to avoid violating anti-discrimination laws. Specific recommendations include:
• Train managers about the employer’s legal obligations regarding discrimination;
• Implement a policy that addresses conduct that might constitute discrimination against caregivers based on protected characteristics;
• Ensure that job openings and promotions are communicated to all employees;
• Implement recruiting practices that target individuals with caregiving responsibilities who seek to reenter the workplace;
• Create a system for assigning overtime work that is family-friendly;
• Provide training and other opportunities to develop the potential of employees without regard to employees’ caregiving responsibilities;
• Provide flexible work arrangements; and
• Reassign job duties that employees are unable to perform because of caregiving responsibilities.
If you would like to speak to an employment law attorney about an employment discrimination matter, please contact the employment lawyers at Clouse Dunn Khoshbin LLP at [email protected].
