In Agreement with EEOC, Groupon to Establish Educational Fund for Black Students Pursuing STEM Careers

CHICAGO - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that following an investigation, the EEOC and Groupon, Inc. (Groupon) have entered into a voluntary agreement in which Groupon has agreed to contribute $350,000 toward establishing an educational fund dedicated to improving primary and secondary STEM education for Black students and awarding scholarships to Black students pursuing advanced degrees in STEM fields. 

Groupon also has expanded its annual equal employment opportunity (EEO) training for its management and employees and agreed to continue to regularly review its existing EEO policies, all of which will be supervised by Groupon’s chief people officer and global head of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Additionally, Groupon will continue to partner with the EEOC to voluntarily provide annual reports to the EEOC on recruitment activities and hiring demographics and will meet regularly with the EEOC to discuss Groupon’s progress.  

“Groupon has demonstrated that it is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, including through contributing to furthering STEM education and improving its hiring and recruiting practices,” said Diane Smason, Acting District Director of the EEOC’s Chicago District Office. “Other employers, particularly those experiencing rapid growth and increasingly high staffing demands, should bear in mind that promoting diversity and inclusion in recruiting and hiring efforts not only helps attract top talent, it lays the foundation for building a workforce that prioritizes equity in all aspects of employment.”   

“Building and nurturing a diverse and engaged workforce is a mission-critical priority for Groupon. We also want to contribute to a future where there is equality of opportunity for all, and, in this spirit, we are excited to create the STEM educational fund,” said Emma Coleman Groupon’s Global Head of Communications and DEI.    

Groupon, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with approximately 2,904 employees globally, is an experience marketplace where consumers discover fun things to do and local businesses thrive.

EEOC’s Chicago District Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement and the conduct of agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota, with Area Offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.  The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov.