There were 73,000 charges filed with the EEOC in 2019, costing employers more than $486 million. In light of the pandemic, these numbers are expected to rise this year, which isn’t surprising given the top complaints of 2019: retaliation, along with disability and racial discrimination.

Difficult employer decisions stemming from the pandemic—layoffs, reduced hours and cut pay—have elevated the risk of retaliation claims. As businesses reopen, the looming threat of COVID-19 has led to an influx of ADA complaints regarding inadequate safety measures in the workplace. Not to mention, a number of Asian Americans have experienced racial discrimination due to the geographic origin of the virus.

Pandemic-related or not, EEOC complaints cost companies time and money and hurt their reputations. Having numerous workplace complaints tied to a company’s name can lead to difficulties with business and attracting candidates.

Even if a company chooses to settle instead of fighting the claim, the end result will still be an expensive bill. That’s why it’s crucial to keep abreast of employee concerns so you can catch issues before they potentially escalate into lawsuits.

Unfortunately, some complaints are bound to occur regardless of the precautions you take. There is no playbook on how to apply existing complaint procedures to the growing number of pandemic-specific lawsuits, leaving many employers without clear direction.

It’s important for companies to prepare ahead of time so they’re not left scrambling if a problem does come up. If your company doesn’t have a plan for handling complaints, or if it has been a while since it updated the existing plan, you’re at increased vulnerability to legal repercussions. One thing worse than an EEOC complaint is an EEOC complaint that you’re completely unprepared for.

 Call Alternative HRD! 

We can help if you need some direct guidance on updating or creating a complaint response strategy. EEOC complaints can get messy, but having a cohesive procedure in place will help keep the mess at the bare minimum.

·    Phase 1: Respect at Work: Leader's Edition

·    Phase 2: Respect at Work: Team Edition

·    Phase 3: Respect at Work: Strategic Challenge

For details, give us a call today at 605.335.8198!

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