If you are a small business in the United States, you are most likely required to follow the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) rules about non-discrimination. In order to fulfill your legal obligation, it’s important to train your workers on their EEO rights. Additionally, you should create additional training materials for your managers so that they can ensure a respectful, supportive workplace. 

In 2022, the EEOC handled 73,485 charges. A large number of these charges could have been prevented by adopting EEOC measures in the workplace. By training your workers, you can prevent your company from becoming a part of this statistic. 

Best Practices for Training Employees on EEO Compliance

Different EEOC rules apply based on the size of your company. 

• If you have one or more employees, you must provide male and female employees with equal pay. 
• Workplaces that have 15 or more employees are prohibited from discriminating based on someone’s race, religion, national origin, color, disability, sex, and genetic information. They are also held to the same standard as workplaces with just one employee. 
• If companies have 20 or more employees, they are held to all of the previous rules. In addition, they are prohibited from discriminating based on age as well.

To avoid EEO issues, it is important to understand the EEOC rules and regulations. As an organization, you can work to create a training manual so that managers and workers are aware of the company’s expectations. 

Be Clear About Your Policies

The first step in ensuring EEO compliance is giving your employees clarity about your rules and expectations. They cannot follow rules unless they are aware that they exist. Because of this, you should generally add materials on EEO regulations in your training manual. 

Discuss Your Employees’ Rights and Responsibilities 

In your training manual, you should cover your workers’ rights and responsibilities. For example, the training manual could include the EEOC poster that tells them about their rights. Your training materials should also include the following information.

• The employee’s rights and responsibilities 
• Methods for preventing discrimination 
• The responsibilities of managers
• Reporting procedures

In particular, your training materials should emphasize that your workplace has a zero-tolerance policy. Workers need to know that, if there is an issue, their employer cares about remedying the problem. 

The vice president of HR Compliance at Asure, Mary Simmons, recently discussed another important policy idea during her podcast interview with Mission to Grow. When discussing who to report problems to, report to “any manager (. . .) because your manager could be the one discriminating against you,” Simmons said. 

This means that workplaces shouldn’t require complaints to be reported to a direct manager. Instead, make sure your training manual clearly says that employees can report a complaint to any manager. 

Display an EEOC Poster 

One of the most important rules to comply with involves the EEOC poster. You are legally required to display the EEOC poster if you have 15 or more employees. If you are subjected to a random EEOC audit or an investigation, the EEOC will look to see if this poster is visible to all of your employees. 

Among other technology-based changes, there is a slight modification for remote workplaces. If you have remote workers, you can display electronic postings instead of placing them on a physical wall. However, these electronic posts must be easily accessible to employees, and all employees must be aware of them.  

Get Signatures From Your EEO Training 

If one of your managers ever becomes the subject of an investigation, you need to make sure that all of your documentation is in order. To prepare for this possibility, you should always have a digital or paper sheet that employees can sign when they’ve completed the training. Then, store this copy in a safe location as a record of your EEO training.  

Cover Reporting Procedures 

No matter what type of training program you use, you should talk to your workers about the appropriate reporting procedures. Typically, the procedures will involve reporting the complaint to any manager at the company or someone in HR. Afterward, the workplace can conduct an investigation to see if a workplace mediation, full-scale investigation, or disciplinary action needs to be carried out. 

Review Consequences of Violating Company’s EEO Policies

While everyone should want to work toward a safer, more inclusive workplace, some workers may need additional incentives. As a part of your training program, discuss the potential consequences of discrimination in the workplace. Emphasize that your workplace has a zero-tolerance policy for anyone who deliberately violates EEO rules.   

Get Started on Your EEO Training Materials 

As a small business owner, you need to make sure your company is in compliance with EEOC regulations. Through EEO training, you can teach your employees EEO best practices and prevent potential problems from happening. 

If you want to learn more about EEO compliance in the workplace, contact our team of payroll and HR experts today.