The Employer Information Report EEO-1, otherwise known as the “EEO-1 Report” or simply “EEO-1,” is required to be filed annually  with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s EEO-1 Joint Reporting Committee. The EEO-1 Report must be filed by: (1) employers with federal government contracts of $50,000 or more and 50 or more employees; and (2) employers who do not have a federal government contract, but have 100 or more employees. The reports seeks statistical information regarding the gender, race, and ethnicity of your workforce. The EEO-1 also tracks the gender, race, and ethnicity of employees by positions held. Self-identification is the preferred method for identifying the race and ethnic information necessary for the EEO-1 Report. Employers should attempt to allow employees to use self-identification to complete the EEO-1 report; however, if an employee declines to self-identify, employment records or observer identification may be used. In an apparent effort to encourage employee self-identification, this year the EEOC modified some of its racial/ethnic categories as follows:

• Adding a new category entitled “two or more races;”
• Dividing “Asian or Pacific Islander” into two separate categories: “Asian” and “Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander;”
• Renaming “Black” as “Black or African American;” and
• Renaming “Hispanic” as “Hispanic or Latino.”

Job categories also have been changed to delineate greater distinctions between “Officials and Managers ” by dividing them into two subgroups. The division attempts to base the categories more along the lines of responsibility and influence within the organization rather than title alone.
Beginning with EEO-1 reports due this year, the following distinctions apply when categorizing your Officials and Managers:

Executive/Senior Level Officials and Managers (plan, direct and formulate policy, set strategy and provide overall direction; in larger organizations, within two reporting levels of CEO); and  

First/Mid-Level Officials and Managers (direct implementation or operations within specific parameters set by Executive/Senior Level Officials and Managers; oversee day-to-day operations).

The deadline for filing the 2007 EEO-1 Report remains September 30, 2007.