Civil and Human Rights Coalition Urges Continued Collection of Vital Pay Data

WASHINGTON – Today, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sent a letter to John M. Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), urging the rejection of a request by the Chamber of Commerce and others to eliminate the inclusion of salary data as part of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) data collection by means of the Employer Information Report (EEO-1 Form). That data collection was previously approved by OMB at the request of the EEOC.

The letter states in part: “The revised EEO-1 Report will provide EEOC a critical tool for focusing investigatory resources on identifying pay discrimination. It will allow the EEOC to see which employers have racial, ethnic, or gender pay gaps that differ significantly from the pay patterns from other employers in their industry and region. By comparing wage data for firms employing workers in the same job categories, in the same industry, in the same location, and in the same year, the EEOC will be able to tell which employers’ pay practices depart from the norm and to investigate possible pay discrimination more efficiently. While the EEO-1 Form will never be the basis of a finding of discrimination standing alone, it provides important information to the EEOC as to where to direct its resources. Again, this is particularly important for enforcement of pay discrimination laws given that so many victims of pay discrimination have no idea they are being paid less than their counterparts, limiting their ability to challenge discrimination without the assistance of the EEOC.”

“Data is knowledge and knowledge is power,” said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “The collection of pay data by sex, race, and ethnicity will be critically important in helping to identify compensation discrimination and improving enforcement of pay discrimination laws. This in turn will benefit businesses, individual workers, and the economy.”

The full letter can be read here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference, visit  www.civilrights.org.