{"id":25377,"date":"2023-04-24T16:23:22","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T16:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/04\/24\/eeoc-urges-strict-harassment-policies-even-for-virtual-offices\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:09:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:09:23","slug":"eeoc-urges-strict-harassment-policies-even-for-virtual-offices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/home\/2023\/04\/24\/eeoc-urges-strict-harassment-policies-even-for-virtual-offices\/","title":{"rendered":"EEOC urges strict harassment policies, even for virtual offices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces U.S. anti-discrimination laws in the workplace, urged government agencies to ensure that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeoc.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-04\/Promising%20Practices%20Anti-Harassment%20Final%204.18.23.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">harassment of employees <\/a>is kept out of virtual work environments, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since fiscal year 2018, more than half of federal sector EEOC complaints included an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeoc.gov\/youth\/harassment-faqs#:~:text=Examples%20of%20harassment%20include%20offensive,offensive%20graffiti%2C%20cartoons%20or%20pictures.\" target=\"_blank\">allegation of harassment, <\/a>which can be offensive jokes, slurs, threats or interference with work, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/2023\/04\/13\/what-does-pregnant-workers-fairness-act-means-for-federal-employees\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-898276324.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">What does Pregnant Workers Fairness Act mean for federal employees?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Could telework be deemed a reasonable accommodation for pregnant employees working in a federal agency?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeoc.gov\/federal-sector\/management-directive\/section-717-title-vii\" target=\"_blank\">latest technical assistance document, published Thursday,<\/a> builds on previous best practices <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeoc.gov\/federal-sector\/reports\/promising-practices-preventing-harassment-federal-sector\" target=\"_blank\">issued in 2017<\/a> and tailors them to federal agencies, which are bound by federal civil rights laws and EEOC directives but may benefit from these additional recommendations to ensure all agencies interpret harassment, prevention and reporting the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne of the most important goals of an effective anti-harassment program is to address unwelcome conduct before it escalates or become severe or pervasive,\u201d said Marqui Willoughby, an EEOC attorney advisor, in an interview. \u201cWith the growth of remote and virtual work within the federal sector, we thought it was important to specifically address harassment via virtual platforms or through telework and remote working.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The document also makes clear that anti-harassment is not just human resources\u2019 responsibility, said Willoughby. While it is up to designated, trained personnel to ensure proper handling of EEOC complaints, it\u2019s also the expectation that managers and supervisors support that process once they become aware of a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The document urges agencies to ensure that social media and technology are not vehicles for harassment of an employee. It dispels the notion that anonymous harassers will not, or cannot, be found on the employee network during an investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Agencies should also make sure employees know how to report incidents if that process is now fully online due to the pandemic acceleration of digital processes, the document said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Harassment trends<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harassment is costly to the federal government in more ways than just millions in settlement agreements. It beleaguers the workforce, which can aggravate turnover and bleed the hiring process. It can result in months of investigations by agencies that pull attention away from other work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sexual harassment in particular is tracked by the Merit Systems Protection Board. Its<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mspb.gov\/studies\/studies\/Sexual_Harassment_in_Federal_Workplaces_Understanding_and_Addressing_the_Problem_1987037.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"> recent report <\/a>found that though federal employees are less likely to experience such harassment today than they were 20 years ago, approximately 14% of employees between 2014 and 2016 experienced at least one incident of sexual harassment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMany employees who experience harassment take no action \u2014 such as telling the harasser to stop or filing a formal complaint \u2014 believing that an action might be futile or even worsen the situation,\u201d said MSPB Chairman Cathy Harris in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mspb.gov\/studies\/studies\/Sexual_Harassment_in_Federal_Workplaces_Understanding_and_Addressing_the_Problem_1987037.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">a memo accompanying the report. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"733\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Sexual-harassment.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30897\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Sexual-harassment.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Sexual-harassment.jpg.jpg?resize=300,183 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Sexual-harassment.jpg.jpg?resize=768,469 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Sexual-harassment.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,625 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Few federal employees report their sexual harassers to management. (AndreyPopov\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the EEOC, complaints have<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeoc.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-03\/FY2020%20Annual%20Report%20Workforce_Part%20I.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"> fallen steadily since 2010 <\/a>but the average time it takes to close formal complaints has risen. Among complaints, reprisal, age, physical disability, race (Black\/African American), and sex (female) continue to lead all other bases in discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking at just 2019, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs led 270 agency offices with the most EEOC complaints, followed by the Department of the Army, USPS Southern Area, Department of the Navy, and Social Security Administration, according to agency data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And in 2020, federal agencies spent $3.7 million on pre-complaint settlements, $51.6 million on investigations, and $66.5 million in monetary benefits for findings of discrimination and complaint-stage settlements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, what to do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Agencies may feel overwhelmed by all the tips recommended by EEOC, especially if their current policies are collecting dust. Willoughby said while agencies aren\u2019t required to abide by the additional recommendations, the EEOC is available to help draft and review policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is a big deal,\u201d Willoughby said. \u201cHarassment is a huge allegation in the EEO process, in general and agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The updated recommendations urge agencies to ensure that social media and technology are not a vehicle for harassment of an 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