EEOC rescinds furlough notice for all employees

Federal employees at the nation’s anti-discrimination agency won’t be furloughed this month after all, reversing an earlier notification.
All employees at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission were told this week that a surprise furlough notice had been rescinded. That means roughly 2,200 of the agency’s employees don’t need to take unpaid leave on Aug. 30.
The commission had blamed “mandatory and inflationary budget increases” above its $455 million annual allocation for the shortfall, estimating daily operating costs of about $1.3 million. Instead, through a combination of “aggressive financial management, limiting travel, rent credits and a hiring freeze” the agency now says it was able to make up the difference.
“Through the combined efforts of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, EEOC’s senior leaders, and EEOC employees, the agency has accrued sufficient savings to eliminate the need for a furlough on August 30, 2024,” wrote EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows in a prepared statement. “I am grateful to EEOC employees for their patience during this process and their continued dedication to protecting the civil rights of America’s workers.”
EEOC workers are represented by the American Federation of Government Employees, which has faulted Congress for hamstringing the agency.
“EEOC has been underfunded and understaffed for decades – and now with Congress freezing the agency’s budget at last year’s level, we are seeing the unfortunate result,” wrote Council 216 President Rachel Shonfield last month, after the furlough was announced.
If the furlough had been fully implemented, all EEOC offices would have closed to the public – the agency’s first furlough since 2013 outside of government shutdowns that affect a broad swath of federal agencies.
Nick Penzenstadler is a reporter on the USA TODAY investigations team. Contact him at [email protected] or @npenzenstadler, or on Signal at (720) 507-5273.