On January 22, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) fully rolled back a guidance document on harassment – a resource that helped protect people from harassment at work – with little notice and no opportunity for public input on a decision affecting millions of workers.
This week marks what would have been the close of a 60-day public comment period, had the agency opted to offer one for public input.
While the EEOC did not solicit comments, The 75 Million Project – a national campaign co-led by the National Partnership for Women and Families – collected public feedback to deliver to the agency. We heard from working women across the country who shared what the EEOC’s workplace harassment guidance meant to them. Here’s a sampling of those comments:
“As a former restaurant worker, I have seen how different forms of harassment are frequently used as a tool to exert power and to silence workers, especially in low-paying industries. The workers who make our economy and food system run should have heightened protections and access to a transparent process for enforcement of these protections.”
– Alexandre G.
“Workplace harassment has the potential to disappear vital perspectives in the workplace. Without actionable guidelines for accountability, this behavior will undoubtedly stagnate efforts to create equitably supportive work environments.”
– Naila B.
“I do not want my daughter or granddaughter to go through the same sexual abusive behavior I had to deal with on the job. Women and men must be protected from aggressive and disrespectful advances at work.”
– Nancy C.
“Workplace protection is incredibly important to continue. As a public school teacher many of my colleagues nationwide are in demographics that are susceptible to harassment, and unfair practices. The overwhelming majority of educators are women. We are vital to continuing the work to educate students across America.”
– Crystal M.
“For nearly two decades, I have worked at a rape crisis center supporting survivors of sexual violence, including workplace sexual harassment and assault. I have seen how pervasive and complex these experiences remain across industries and power structures. These are not rare or hypothetical situations; they are routine…”
– Sarah L.
Respondents shared why protections against workplace harassment are essential to ensuring women feel safe at work, and what’s at stake when these protections are rolled back. We took these perspectives directly to the EEOC to let the agency know why its workplace harassment guidance matters. Watch the delivery below or on YouTube: Come With Me to the EEOC
