EEOC Proposes Overhaul of Federal Employee Discrimination Complaint Process

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to overhaul the federal-sector equal employment opportunity (EEO) complaint process. The proposed changes, published on August 28, 2026, aim to streamline the process by eliminating mandatory pre-complaint counseling, administrative hearings at the agency level, and administrative class actions. Instead, federal employees would file complaints directly with their agency, which would compile the record and resolve them, with complainants retaining the right to appeal to the EEOC or file civil actions in court. The comment period is open until September 28, 2026.