FCC Makes It Easier for Companies to Rehire Laid Off Employees

The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau, in consultation with the Enforcement Bureau, waives the broad outreach requirements of the FCC's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) recruitment rules in the limited circumstances relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. The EEO rules ordinarily require broadcast stations employing five or more full-time employees and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) employing six or more full-time employees to engage in broad recruitment outreach for all full-time job vacancies. The Bureau finds good cause to waive this requirement to allow affected broadcast licensees and MVPDs to return operations to full strength once circumstances permit the re-hiring of released employees.