Although it may not be commonly known outside of the industry, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maintains long-standing equal employment opportunity regulations that apply to broadcasters and other employers subject to the agency’s jurisdiction. And those regulations have teeth, as evidenced by a recent FCC action that penalized a large broadcaster for failure to comply.
The FCC’s decision to go after a broadcaster for failure to comply with its EEO requirements not only serves as a reminder to covered employers to ensure that they have processes in place to comply, but also underscores the fact that federal agencies other than the more familiar Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) have authority to enforce EEO requirements, and under the Biden Administration are showing that they are prepared to do so.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.