EEOC to Begin Accepting On Line Submissions in Response to Charges

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced a pilot program for online submissions in response to a Notice of Charge. The online system will allow employers (or their legal representatives) to elect mediation, request extensions of time, and file position statements. Select regions will begin the pilot program on May 4, 2015, and the agency plans on rolling out the program nationally by October 2015.  The agency is beginning the rollout next month in the Charlotte, North Carolina and San Francisco, California District Offices. As of May 4, all Notices of Charges in those two regions will be sent via U.S. mail in a new form, which looks very different from the usual Notice of Charge. The Notice will inform the employer that the Field Office is part of a pilot project to make investigations and communications more efficient. It will also provide a login URL, an EEOC charge number, and a password. At that point, the employer or its legal representative can access the charge.