A major shift could be on the horizon for U.S. employers as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) moves to eliminate several long-standing workforce reporting requirements that have been a key part of corporate compliance for decades.
According to a proposal submitted to the White House on May 14, the agency plans to discontinue not only EEO-1 reporting but also EEO-2, EEO-3, EEO-4 and EEO-5 reporting requirements. The proposal forms part of a broader effort to reduce a range of employer disclosure obligations tied to federal equal employment and anti-discrimination regulations.
The planned changes would also affect reporting requirements associated with several major pieces of U.S. legislation, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
Among these reporting frameworks, EEO-1 has historically been the most significant for employers. The report is currently required for companies with 100 or more employees, as well as certain federal contractors with at least 50 employees that meet specific criteria.
For years, EEO-1 filings have provided demographic workforce data used by the EEOC, policymakers and researchers to evaluate employment trends across the United States. While many employers have viewed the process as administratively demanding, the data has also served as an important internal tool for organisations seeking to assess diversity, equal opportunity and non-discrimination practices within their workforce.
The proposal arrives amid the broader policy direction of President Donald Trump’s second administration, which has consistently scrutinised diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across both the public and private sectors.
Since returning to office, the administration has issued executive orders targeting DEI-related programmes, and many observers see the EEOC’s latest proposal as a continuation of those efforts.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has challenged employment reporting requirements. During Trump’s first term, the White House successfully moved to block EEO-1 pay data reporting requirements, a decision that was welcomed by several business organisations at the time.
Many policy analysts and labour experts had anticipated that broader EEO-1 reporting requirements could eventually face similar scrutiny. The possibility was previously highlighted in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 policy framework, which proposed reducing or eliminating a range of federal reporting obligations related to workforce demographics.
The proposal is still at an early stage. If approved by the White House, the proposed rule changes would typically be published in the Federal Register before entering a public consultation period. Stakeholders, businesses, advocacy groups and members of the public would then have the opportunity to submit comments before any final rule is adopted.
At the time of publication, the EEOC had not publicly provided additional details regarding the proposal or its implementation timeline.
If ultimately approved, the move would represent one of the most significant changes to U.S. workplace reporting requirements in recent years, potentially reducing compliance obligations for employers while also reshaping the collection of workforce demographic data that has long informed employment policy and diversity analysis across the country.
