⚖️Labor Department revokes Johnson-era Executive Order 11246 protecting 36 million workers

Federal investigators who handle workplace discrimination complaints face layoffs while complaint backlogs explode to unprecedented levels. Sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and disability accommodation violations go unpunished when the agency responsible for civil rights enforcement lacks staff to investigate, file lawsuits, or negotiate settlements.

Companies understand that EEOC complaints will not result in investigations, fines, or legal consequences under the gutted enforcement system. Workplace bias accelerates when employers know that federal civil rights laws have no practical enforcement mechanism, effectively legalizing discrimination through administrative neglect.

While some states maintain anti-discrimination laws, they lack authority over interstate commerce and federal contractors who receive billions in government funds. Workers in conservative states lose all civil rights workplace protections when federal enforcement ends, creating patchwork employment rights that depend entirely on geography rather than constitutional guarantees.

Congressional civil rights laws remain technically valid but practically useless when the federal agencies responsible for implementation and enforcement get defunded. Legal protections become empty promises when workers cannot access federal investigators, courts become backlogged, and employers face no consequences for violations.