Ashley Eley Cannady Discusses the Impact of Potential EEOC Cuts with Bloomberg Law

Ashley Eley Cannady, partner in the firm’s Jackson office and member of the Labor & Employment Practice, discusses the “White House’s EEOC Staff Cut Plan Highlights Dwindling Workforce,” in the February 27, 2020 edition of Bloomberg Law. According to the article, The White House looks to cut 14 percent of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) employees in the next year. This cut in staffing causes concern for lawyers, as the agency which regulates workplace harassment and discrimination cases already has a bottleneck of pending cases. Ashley notes that having fewer workers to assist with incoming charges will only worsen the backlog of cases. Fewer EEOC employees not only impacts the number of cases prosecuted in court, it also lengthens the time frame for individuals to meet with an investigator to discuss a charge. As a result, some individuals may be deterred from filing harassment or discrimination charges altogether. 

At Balch, Ashley focuses her practice on labor and employment litigation, providing advice to employers on all areas of work-related legal exposure, and business litigation. With a proactive approach to each case, she helps her clients remain compliant with applicable laws. Ashley’s client roster crosses many sectors, including financial services, hospitals, telecommunications, construction companies, poultry plants, restaurants, hotels, and casinos. Ashely is consistently ranked by Chambers USA for her Labor & Employment work, as well as Mid-South Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2010 – present.