Key Insights Into The EEOC’s Draft Strategic Plan For FY 2026-2030

Duane Morris Takeaways: On July 1, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released a preliminary draft of its 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. The draft sets forth the EEOC plans to prevent and address employment discrimination via improved procedures and key performance metrics, expand outreach and training activities, and improve internal processes via talent retention and use of technology that improves efficiency. The four-year plan was published on the regulations.gov webpage and is open for comment until July 19, 2026. Even if employers do not submit comments, they would be well-advised to review the draft and final Strategic Plan once it is announced because it provides a window into the EEOC Commissioners’ thinking for how the agency will use its resources to redress and deter workplace discrimination.

Introduction

Every four years, the EEOC prepares a Strategic Plan that guides its anti-discrimination enforcement priorities. The 2026-2030 Strategic Plan newly published on the regulations.gov webpage gives significant insight into specific goals and metrics that the agency will measure its performance by in the next several years. The three goals of the draft Strategic Plan and their significance are critical information for employers to understand in navigating interpretations and compliance with EEOC regulations and guidelines.

Operational Improvements And Performance Metrics Sought By The EEOC

The 2026-2030 Strategic Plan draft signals that the EEOC will focus its operations on three key areas. First, the EEOC aims to increase the number of favorable outcomes and to seek non-monetary relief where appropriate. For its matter outcomes, the EEOC aims to obtain at least one million dollars in monetary relief for select systematic investigations, to favorably resolve at least ninety percent of its enforcement lawsuits, and ensure its hearings, investigations, and appears meet or exceed unspecified metrics. (Draft Strategic Plan at 14-16.) On this point, the draft Strategic Plan explains that the EEOC will use its prosecutorial discretion to focus on prioritizing the investigation, litigation, and resolution of complex cases. (Id.) In addition to seeking monetary relief, the EEOC aims to also seek non-monetary relief. The draft Plan explains the EEOC’s view that this type of relief could encompass hands-on training for employers and workers, implementing discrimination deterrence practices, and monitoring. (Id.)

The EEOC additionally aims to “achieve[] targeted equitable relief and at least $1 million in monetary relief” at a rate of 80% of its systemic investigations where cause is found. (Id.) The draft Strategic Plan states that the emphasis here is on cases with broad overall impact and relief for employees impacted by systemic discriminatory patterns, practices, or policies. (Id.)

Further, “the EEOC will make significant progress toward enhanced monitoring of conciliation agreements,” with the goal of publishing developments of its achievements for each year. (Id.) The Strategic Plan explains that improved training, enhanced tracking, and streamlined reporting are crucial aspects of this point. (Id.)

With regards to employees of the federal government, the draft Strategic Plan outlines a baseline measurement for cabinet-level agency compliance with Equal Employment Opportunities. (Id. at 16.) This includes improvements in processing complaints, approving affirmative action plans, and establishing compliance with the Elijah E. Cummings Federal Employee Anti-Discrimination Act of 2020 through timeliness. (Id.) Reasoning that the federal government is the largest employer in the country, the draft Strategic Plan notes that “reducing unlawful employment discrimination in the federal sector is an integral part of combatting employment discrimination in the nation’s workplaces,” and thus will have a great impact on private sector employers. (Id.)

The EEOC aims to have “at least 90% of completed investigations and conciliations, hearings, and federal appeals meet or exceed criteria” implemented in the Quality Practices Plan (“QEP”) for each program. (Id.) Building on the EEOC’s prior Strategic Plan’s QEP, the Commission states that the quality targets for resolving cases without litigation paved a way to success when implemented rigorously. (Id. at 17.) Further, the EEOC will seek to assess the current status of its previous goals and update them as needed in FY 2027-2030. (Id.)

Next, the EEOC plans to broaden its outreach and training activities to ensure that employees know their rights, and that employers are equipped with the tools necessary to preclude discrimination. (Id. at 18-20.) The action items for this goal include use of social media engagement, the implementation of three innovative means to conduct outreach, updating training materials to be user-friendly, and tracking the effectiveness of each outreach effort. (Id. at 19, 22.)

The EEOC additionally seeks to improve its accessibility through updating its technological capabilities. (Id. at 17.) The priority outlined in its seventh measure highlights reducing processing time and looks to speed up the charge filing process following intake, with the ultimate goal of reducing pending cases in the long-term. (Id.)

Finally, the EEOC will strive to improve its overall operations via three distinct areas of focus, which include (1) personnel, (2) services, and (3) financial efficiency. The EEOC would like to improve its operations with regards to its employees by maintaining staffing levels at or greater to 95% of the FTE baseline, invest in in-person trainings, and allow for select employees to participate in leadership development programs. (Id. at 25-26.) For its services, the EEOC will issue feedback surveys to assess areas of growth for the intake process, outreach and training, and mediation services offered, then implement process improvements to targeted areas. (Id. at 27.) For budget concerns, each program area will strive to meet operating constraints and meet all submission deadlines. (Id.)

Implications For Employers

The EEOC’s FY 2026-2030 draft Strategic Plan is a document that provides insight into the direction the agency will take to improve how it functions, and where it will focus the majority of its resources. Knowing what to expect from the Commission over the next four years places employers at an advantage when it comes to contingency planning and updating workplace discrimination policies.