The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it was extending the pilot program that expanded opportunities to voluntarily resolve charges through mediation through Sept. 30, 2021. “The ACT Mediation pilot has created more opportunities to resolve charges throughout an investigation, enhancing EEOC’s already successful mediation program,” said EEOC Chair Janet Dhillon. “Feedback indicates that the pilot has been well-received, however, we need, more time to fine tune its implementation and assess its impact.” Mediation is a voluntary, informal, and confidential way to resolve disputes with the help of a neutral mediator who is trained to help people discuss their differences. The EEOC’s ACT (Access, Categories, Time) Mediation pilot, which began on July 6, 2020, expanded the categories of charges eligible for mediation and, generally, allowed for mediation throughout an investigation. The pilot also expanded the use of technology to hold virtual mediations. Through the EEOC’s mediation program, first implemented agency-wide in 1999, the agency has conducted more than 240,000 mediations, resolving over 170,000 charges and obtaining over $3 billion in benefits for aggrieved individuals.
