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The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency that enforces civil rights laws against discrimination at work, has told staff they will be furloughed on August 30 to account for a budget shortfall.
The watchdog notified 2,200 staff last week that “mandatory and inflationary budget increases” meant they would need to take up to eight hours of unpaid leave on August 30, according to a report from USA Today.
A notice from the EEOC’s HR department stated that other budget cuts were also being made, including a pause on recruitment.
“Despite efforts to reduce funding requirements by executing across the board program reductions and implementing a hiring freeze, we currently anticipate expenditures to cover necessary agency operating costs will be in excess of our authorized budget,” it read.
The HR department’s memo also opened the possibility of further furlough, telling staff a further notice would be issued if more unpaid leave was required.
Why is the EEOC telling staff to take unpaid leave?
The EEOC has been battling to balance its books after Congress kept its funding levels at $455million, the same level as 2023, despite the agency citing “substantial increases in security, rent, and required mission-critical contract costs.”
The body also says in the fiscal year 2024 it has struggled with wage costs after President Joe Biden confirmed a 5.2% pay rise for most federal staff in January 2024, which it described as “well-deserved, but unfunded.”
The EEOC also said fewer staff departed in the fiscal year than expected; and across-the-board cuts including scrapped funds for training and development, limited travel, and reduced hiring were not sufficient to balance its books.
Staff members told to take unpaid leave can submit an email to the Merit Systems Protection Board - the federal agency that offers protection and support for staff against personnel disputes including furloughs – or else submit a formal grievance, though the board is currently working through a backlog of cases.
AFGE President: EEOC furlough is “unfortunate” for employees & American workers
Rachel Shonfield, President of Council 216 for the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union that represents EEOC staff, told USA Today in a statement that the furlough is an “unfortunate result” stemming from Congressional budget freezes.
Shonfield said the cutbacks will not only affect staff who must take unpaid leave at short notice but also workers who the EEOC supports with discrimination claims. The agency filed 143 lawsuits battling workplace discrimination in 2023, securing $665million for American workers in compensation.
“EEOC employees will be forced to lose up to a day's pay at the end of August unless the agency can scrimp together enough money to make payroll and keep the lights on,” she stated.
“Workers facing discrimination on the job are facing longer wait times for appointments because the agency does not have enough front-line staff,” she said, “and effectively shutting down operations for a day will only make those wait times longer.”
With over 2,000 staff set to be on furlough on August 30, the EEOC offices will shut for the day, though USA Today reports its website and public portal will be open for use. The agency has not shut down for a non-government-related reason since 2013.
The AFGE proposed remote working as an alternative method for the EEOC to reduce its costs, suggesting the commission should scale down its office real estate to save on rent.
EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows also shared a statement with USA Today but did not address the budget cuts directly.
“I will continue to advocate for funding that will enable the EEOC to meet the public’s increased demand for our services and enforce all of the laws entrusted to us by Congress,” she said.
