EEOC workers in Indiana among thousands impacted by planned furloughs

INDIANAPOLIS— The federal agency tasked with investigating discrimination in the workplace is planning to furlough employees later this month, WRTV Investigates has learned.

A furlough is a temporary, unpaid leave of absence from work or a reduction in hours for an employee.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has put more than 2,000 employees across the country on notice, including at least 58 workers in the Indianapolis office.

An EEOC employee who works in Indiana contacted WRTV Investigates with concerns about the agency’s plans.

WRTV Investigates contacted the EEOC, which confirmed the 8-hour furloughs are scheduled to happen on August 30 and would impact all employees.

“We remain hopeful that we ultimately can avoid a furlough or limit it to only a few hours,” an EEOC spokesperson said in an email to WRTV. “However, out of an abundance of caution, the EEOC has made the difficult decision to notice up to eight hours of furlough for all employees, to occur on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.”

An EEOC spokesperson said they are looking at alternative sources of savings to hopefully avoid furloughs.

“We are continuing to increase efficiencies and will accrue more cost savings for the rest of the year,” the EEOC spokesperson told WRTV. “The agency’s estimated daily payroll costs are about $1.3 million.”

The EEOC enforces federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

The agency says it’s been under “significant spending constraints” this fiscal year because their enacted budget was held at the FY2023 level of $455 million while the EEOC faced increased costs including rent and security.

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“In FY 2024, federal employees received a well-deserved, but unfunded, 5.2% pay increase with accompanying increases in benefits,” the EEOC told WRTV In an email. “Because more than 76% of the EEOC’s budget is allocated to compensation and benefits for our employees, the increase in salary and benefits had a significant impact.  At the same time, we also have had fewer staff departures than projected and substantial increases in security, rent, and required mission critical contract costs.”

The EEOC says it has taken steps to keep its finances in order including:

• limited hiring to only a handful of critical positions despite increased demand from the public for EEOC’s services
• made significant, across-the-board operating cuts to all divisions
• eliminated most training funds
• substantially reduced travel
• delayed spending on longer term projects such as office moves and construction.

The Indianapolis office is the only office for Indiana listed on the EEOC website.
It has 58 employees, according to the EEOC.

It is located at:

115 W. Washington Street South Tower Suite 600
Indianapolis, IN 46204.