Business owners know the feeling of getting notification of a pending legal action, and sometimes that includes notice from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). And, other than being horrified at the accusations, the next question is likely, “how much is this going to cost?” However, for an EEOC case, there is a Houston, Texas, employer-friendly process that is free and remarkably successful.
What litigation means to businesses?
Litigation at the state and federal level means time and money. Time spent in the pre-litigation discovery phase that takes your employees away from their jobs, and money spent on legal fees, attorney fees and court fees. That is not including if you lose the case and have to pay out a court ordered judgement.
What does an EEOC notice mean to businesses?
First, it means that your business is accused of some form of discrimination. Know that even if untrue, the EEOC administrative process can take a long time. First, the investigations usually take about a year, and the EEOC investigator can conduct their investigation onsite, looking through documents and interviewing employees and customers.
That is, potentially, time waisted on nonbusiness efforts, which will mean lost revenue, stressed out employees and lower morale. The subsequent Houston, Texas, administrative hearing can also take years, if both parties do not elect to go to federal court. This, in turn, means more waisted time and money.
Is there a better way?
Yes. The EEOC offers both parties mediation. From the first filing of the case, the EEOC investigator will offer EEOC mediation services at no cost to either party, and it has over a 70% success rate. Plus, many settlements do not include money.
Structurally, mediation is facilitated by a Houston, Texas, independent third-party, who is trained by the EEOC but does not take sides. They do not have any power to make findings or force a resolution, and everything said in the process is strictly confidential. Their entire job is just to find a resolution. Of course, if it is not successful, the process goes on as it would have otherwise, so for most cases, it can be a win-win situation.