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Q&A
Implementation of EEPC recommendations by agencies
1:54:52
ยท
3 min
Director Russell Ferri discusses the implementation of EEPC recommendations by city agencies. He provides examples of recommendations and their impact on city policies.
- EEPC has recommended updating workforce availability data, which hasn't been done in over ten years
- EEPC suggested implementing exit surveys to understand reasons for employee attrition
- Some EEPC recommendations have contributed to new laws, such as the requirement for exit surveys in city agencies
Nantasha Williams
1:54:52
EEPC oftentimes within their reports will provide several recommendations to agencies and entities.
1:54:59
How often are these recommendations taken and established?
Russell Ferri
1:55:07
So it depends.
1:55:09
For the past few years, the primary one has been so the Local Law 13 series reports on disparities in the city's workforce compared to the availability of women and and people of color.
1:55:25
We rely on DCAST to determine what is the availability of women and people of color.
1:55:32
And those numbers have not been updated for over ten years now.
1:55:35
And, but we do know that DCAS is working to update their systems and the estimates and that that process, from what we understand, is pretty far along.
1:55:45
So that's one example.
1:55:48
We've also talked about drivers to to understand why are people leaving.
1:55:53
As you know, there's been a lot of attrition in the past couple of years.
1:55:57
But you all passed a law now requiring exit surveys and interviews at city agencies.
1:56:04
I can't claim that that was entirely because we were recommending it, but I hope that we were one voice that contributed to the importance of that.
1:56:11
So those are two examples.
Nantasha Williams
1:56:14
Thank you.
1:56:19
Just turning the questions to community engagement which I think speaks to your concerns and sort of request for a comms director.
1:56:31
So on your website, it is specified that EEPC is not authorized to investigate individual complaints of employment discrimination.
1:56:40
Is there a referral process of an individual contacts the commission regarding a personal discrimination experience and what kind of public awareness out outreach does EEPC perform?
Jeanne Victor
1:56:52
So if someone would contact our office with a complaint, we refer them to CCHR, we refer them to the feds at that time and, or even New York State.
1:57:06
We don't, really have any public facing profile for the public because we deal mostly with the agencies and the and whether or not their programs are in compliance, So we don't really deal with the public at all.
Annabel Palma
1:57:23
Okay and do you have
Nantasha Williams
1:57:24
like direct contacts for these other government entities or are you just like sending them a website and saying go talk to CCHR?
Jeanne Victor
1:57:34
Well I do try to help them when they call and I give them phone numbers and I work with them and I tell and I also tell them if you can't get through to that number call me back and we'll see if we can find another way to get through.
Nantasha Williams
1:57:47
Yes and I know CCHR is still here so I would encourage you all to coordinate with EEPC so they have a direct line into your agency if people are reaching directly to another city agency, they should be able to get a seamless service and be contacted directly to someone at CCHR for their complaint.
1:58:09
I don't know about state but I'm like at least within the city should be communicating and talking to each other.
1:58:16
Okay.
1:58:16
Awesome.
1:58:17
So in the so now turning my questions to the auditing report.
1:58:20
In 2024, the annual report stated that there were 20 auditing standards that agencies were held accountable to.
1:58:27
Can you explain each of the standards and how you determine the standards and if the standards change every year or if they remain the same for the full four