On June 29, 2026, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to rescind two policy documents laying out steps employers can take to increase representation of historically marginalized groups in the workplace (i.e., affirmative action). The two documents are the EEOC’s “Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as Amended” (Affirmative Action Guidelines) and its “Compliance Manual Section 607 on Affirmative Action” (Compliance Manual). A week later, the recission became official when the EEOC published its final interpretive rule. According to EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, the change was intended to ensure EEOC guidance was consistent with Title VII and the principle of equal treatment under the law.
The Affirmative Action Guidelines were originally adopted in 1979 to encourage and protect voluntary affirmative action by entities covered by Title VII, including private employers, who took steps to expand opportunities for minorities and… Read the complete article here...
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