Speaking with the National Law Journal, Feldblum reflected on some of her biggest achievements during her time at the EEOC, and spoke about her work including sex discrimination and sexual orientation and gender identity protections under Title IIV:
“One of the pieces I’m very proud of is what the EEOC has done on correcting the law on Title VII sex discrimination and coverage of sexual orientation and gender identity. The courts had actually sort of been moving in that direction but it wasn’t really getting the visibility and it wasn’t as explicit as we had done it at the EEOC. We were the first agency that was interpreting the law. We interpreted it that way and the courts went along. The EEOC corrected, in my mind, the mistake with our analysis. And again that’s what has enabled the courts to look at it again.”
After her nomination to continue serving as EEOC commissioner was denied by U.S. Senate Republicans in January, Obama-era EEOC appointee Feldblum is moving into the private sector. Feldblum will begin a new venture with her longtime chief of staff, Sharon Masling, to help companies successfully implement anti-harassment strategies. The venture will build off of a 2016 EEOC report on workplace harassment.
“It is not easy to change your workplace culture so that harassment is simply not tolerated, but it is possible to do that. Research showed that with the right leadership, the right rules of accountability and then with the right policies, procedures and training, those things together can help shape a workplace culture so that harassment is much less likely to occur,” said Feldblum.
Feldblum credits the #MeToo movement with a new focus on anti-harassment measures among both employers and the average worker.
Read more at The National Law Journal.