Introduction to the EEOC

The various federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws are enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC was created by the 1964 CRA as an enforcement arm for the act. It is a federal agency that has significant power over employers in the process of investigating complaints of illegal discrimination based on “race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information.”

The EEOC is the federal agency primarily charged with enforcement of the federal equal employment opportunity laws. Additionally, every company with more than 100 employees or with more than 50 employees and with federal contracts totaling $50,000 or more must file an EEO-1 report with the EEOC each year.

The EEO-1 identifies the company’s EEO compliance data based on protected classifications within federal law. In addition, the EEO-1 has started including requirements for the reporting of compensation data from companies with more than 100 employees. This data will be used “to enable staff to assess pay disparities based on sex, ethnicity, or race.”

The 2004 Supreme Court case set new standards for demonstrating constructive discharge from a company, and in so doing, it created a more difficult employment environment for employers. Every employer or manager needs to understand this concept.