The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency in the United States responsible for enforcing civil rights laws against workplace discrimination.
Key Points About the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Mission: The EEOC’s mission is to promote equality of opportunity in the workplace and enforce federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.
- Jurisdiction: The EEOC investigates charges of discrimination filed by individuals against employers. It covers most employers with 15 or more employees (20 or more employees in age discrimination cases), labor unions, and employment agencies.
- Functions: The EEOC performs several functions to fulfill its mission:
- Investigating charges of discrimination filed by individuals against employers.
- Mediating and resolving disputes between employees and employers.
- Filing lawsuits against employers on behalf of aggrieved individuals or pursuing cases of discrimination in federal courts.
- Issuing guidance and regulations to clarify and interpret the laws it enforces.
- Conducting outreach and education to promote understanding of employment discrimination laws and compliance.
- Laws Enforced: The EEOC enforces several federal laws related to employment discrimination, including but not limited to:
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin).
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 (protecting individuals aged 40 and older from age-based discrimination).
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (prohibiting discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities).
- Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) (prohibiting sex-based pay discrimination between workers for the same employer who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort, and responsibility under similar working conditions).
- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 (prohibiting the use of genetic information, including family medical history, in making employment decisions, such as hiring, firing, advancement, pay, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment).
- Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2022 (requiring covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to an employee’s or applicant’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an undue hardship).
- Leadership: The Commission’s top leadership is structured with five Commissioner slots with staggered terms, allowing a sitting President to appoint three Commissioners of his political party.
- Role in Promoting Equal Employment Opportunity: The EEOC plays a crucial role in enforcing laws that protect employees’ rights to work free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on protected characteristics.
Overall, the EEOC plays a significant role in upholding and enforcing workplace equality in the United States through investigation, mediation, litigation, and education.