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Guidance clarifies definition of “job applicant”

Newly proposed guidance from the federal government is aimed at helping employers determine which of the many electronic resumes they receive are job applications for purposes of equal employment opportunity recordkeeping. According to the guidance, individuals who apply for jobs via the Internet or other electronic technologies will be considered applicants if they have followed the employer’s standard procedures for submitting applications and have indicated interest in a particular position that the employer is trying to fill.

     Issued jointly by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Departments of Labor and Justice, and the Office of Personnel Management, the proposal has been under development for more than three years. It is provided in question-and-answer format and can be accessed at http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/qanda-ugesp.html.

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