The EEO-1 report is an annual government survey that’s used to collect workforce data from private employers. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other federal agencies use the collected data to identify employment patterns, such as the representation of women and minorities in organizations, and to ultimately combat discrimination.
In this article, we discuss the latest employer requirements concerning the EEO-1, recap critical details about the report, and lastly, highlight how it differs from all of the other EEO reporting requirements out there.
When does EEO-1 data collection open and close?
Per the EEOC, employers can begin submitting 2023 EEO-1 data on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The deadline to file 2023 EEO-1 data reporting is Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Please note that the EEOC published an updated instruction booklet and will make a Filer Support Message Center (aka: a help desk) available to employers when reporting opens on April 30, 2024. You can also consult the EEOC’s EEO-1 web page for additional information and future updates.
All private sector employers with establishments located in any of the 50 US states or the District of Columbia are legally required to file the EEO-1 report if they meet any of the following criteria:
- Have 100 or more employees; or
- Have 50 or more employees and have a federal contract (prime contract or first-tier subcontract) amounting to $50,000 or more.
Companies with centralized ownership, control or management should count employees across all of their organizations to determine if they meet the 50 or 100 employee thresholds. Organizations should also err on the side of caution when counting employees. For example, if an employer has met the 50 or 100 employee threshold at some point during the year (and not at other points in the year), they should plan to either file their EEO-1 report or seek legal guidance regarding compliance. For more information, employers should consult the EEOC website or call 1-800-669-4000.
The EEO-1 report is not new — it dates all the way back to 1966. In the past, filers were required to include reports for both Component 1 and Component 2 data, but the EEOC officially dropped the Component 2 data requirement in September of 2019.
Therefore, EEO-1 reporting will only look at Component 1 data, which includes information like the number of employees (headcount) who work for the business, organized by job category, race/ethnicity and sex. Below is a sample of what the Component 1 data report looks like.
Yes. Aside from the EEO-1 report, there are other workforce data reports that may apply to employers, depending on the organization’s type and size. Employers should note that they’re legally required to provide this data; it is not voluntary. Here’s a rundown of other EEO data reports outside of the EEO-1:
- EEO-3: Also known as the Local Union Report, the EEO-3 (EEOC Form 274) is a biennial report, meaning it's required every other year. Occurring in even-numbered calendar years, this report requires local unions, specifically referral unions with 100 or more members, to submit demographic workforce data including membership, applicant and referral information by race/ethnicity and sex. The 2023 collection period is closed. Updates regarding the 2024 EEOC-3 data collection, including the opening date, will be posted to the EEOC’s EEO-3 web pages as they become available.
- EEO-4: This biennial report, formally referred to as the State and Local Government Report, requires state and local government agencies with more than 100 employees to provide a summary of employee demographic information, by position, every odd calendar year. The 2023 EEO-4 data collection period is closed. All updates about the 2025 EEO-4 data collection, including supplementary resource materials, will be posted to the EEOC’s EEO-4 web page as they become available.
- EEO-5: Required from all public elementary and secondary school systems and districts with 100 or more employees, this biennial report (conducted in even-numbered calendar years) is known as The Elementary-Secondary Staff Information Report. Qualifying employers must submit demographic workforce data, including race/ethnicity, sex and activity assignment classification. The 2022 collection period is closed. Updates regarding the 2024 EEO-5 data collection, including the opening date, will be posted to the EEOC’s EEO-5 web page as they become available.
There are two main factors that make EEO reporting particularly challenging. First, the EEOC isn’t shy about making requirement changes. Yes, they do a very nice job keeping their website (and the dedicated EEO-1, EEO-3, EEO-4 and EEO-5 web pages) up to date, but you still need to proactively seek out information. Second, gathering data manually for EEO reporting can be a time-consuming and error-prone process.
B2E Solutions can help you tackle these two challenges in the following ways:
- Keep up with changes: We offer a solution called Mineral that provides you with real-time, personalized alerts when there’s a compliance change that impacts your business specifically (these aren’t generic compliance updates). With this, you also receive direct access to certified HR experts (yes, actual humans) who can answer your questions. It’s shockingly affordable too. If you’d like to try Mineral for free, you can request a 30-day trial by clicking here.
- Simplify reporting: Our human capital management (HCM) solution, UKG Ready, includes a Human Resources product that helps you track and report on employee data that’s needed for EEO reporting. It makes pulling reports together so much easier. Just remember, it’s best to capture employee data like gender, ethnicity and job classification upon hire, as it’s always more difficult to gather after the fact. Using UKG Ready checklists and forms during your onboarding process is another easy way to streamline this piece of the data collection puzzle.
To request a demo or to learn more about our Mineral and/or Human Resources Solutions, contact us today.
Editor's note: This blog post was originally published on May 3, 2021, but has been updated to reflect the most recent information for 2024.
