On January 29, 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) launched a new outreach initiative aimed toward vulnerable workers and underserved communities. Through the REACH initiative, as it is called, EEOC officials will hold a series of in-person and virtual listening sessions with stakeholders in order to identify existing barriers to engaging with the EEOC. This initiative will also review and evaluate existing research on outreach strategies, identify best practices, consider how to reach rural communities far from EEOC office locations, and develop recommendations to present to the EEOC Chair. The REACH initiative is led by Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal, and it is focused on ensuring that the EEOC’s outreach efforts are successful in connecting workers who need the Agency’s services but are least likely to seek them out. On January 29, Commissioner Kotagal held her first in person REACH listening session in Las Vegas with local non-profit organizations and labor unions who work with low wage workers and workers of color. More information about the initiative can be found here.
