DOL and EEOC announce cooperative effort

Washington — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division are collaborating to “elevate workplace justice issues of mutual interest across the country.”

According to a Memorandum of Understanding announced on Sept. 14, that cooperation involves enhancing and maximizing the enforcement of federal laws and regulations. Those include two recently enacted laws: the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act. 

The MOU formalizes and increases coordination between the agencies through information sharing, joint investigations, training and outreach, according to an EEOC press release. The document outlines procedures to be followed by both agencies.

“The EEOC is pleased to expand our integral partnership with the Wage and Hour Division to better serve America’s workers,” EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows said in the release.

Added WHD Principal Deputy Administrator Jessica Looman: “Our partnership with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission helps us work across federal agencies to ensure workers are treated fairly, paid fairly and do not have to fear retaliation when demanding the workplace protections that federal labor laws such as the PUMP Act require.”