The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces laws against workplace discrimination in the US. It investigates complaints, educates companies and employees, and can take legal action against non-compliant employers. Laws include the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1967, and the American Disabilities Act of 1990. Some criticize the EEOC for government involvement in private sector affairs, while others appreciate its efforts to promote fair workplaces.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a US federal agency authorized by Congress, specifically since the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, to help enforce laws prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. The Commission was first established in the early 1960s, but it wasn’t until 1964 that it was given the necessary power to prosecute those companies with discriminatory practices through lawsuits. The Civil Rights Act, specifically in Title VII of its Act, gives the Commission the right to monitor the employment practices of both private and public employers and to enforce the administration of laws established by the United States government to fight discrimination.
There are actually several laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace. These are the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and, as mentioned above, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its subsequent amendments. They also include the Age Discrimination Act of 1967, the American Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. These acts, when taken together, require equal pay for equal work and prevent discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religious preferences and health conditions such as pregnancy and/or disability. The EEOC is also able to investigate or help sue companies or employers who engage in sexual harassment of both genders.
In addition to having the power, through litigation, to address companies that commit acts of discrimination, the Commission accepts complaints from employees who believe their rights are being violated. They also do wide-ranging investigations into company practices to see if there are any hidden discriminatory hiring, promotion or payment practices, and work to educate companies and the public about what constitutes discrimination. It also publishes reports on employment practices and brochures for employers and workers.
When workers feel they are being discriminated against, or when their company is engaging in large-scale discrimination prohibited by law, they can file complaints with the EEOC. It is therefore up to the Commission to investigate such allegations, inform employees of their rights and potentially threaten or pursue legal action against an employer to bring it into compliance with anti-discrimination policies. Whenever possible, the Commission may simply work with a company to educate it to become compliant with those policies, but when the company opposes that education, it essentially goes to war with the agency.
Since the establishment of the Commission there have been frequent criticisms of it. These tend to fall along the lines of resentment of government involvement in private sector affairs. Some employers feel their hands are tied by the laws the agency enforces and feel that the government has no right to decide how business is conducted.
These arguments are roughly the same ones that have always been advanced in criticism of the Commission. Sometimes they are done more on a philosophical level than because an employer specifically wants to discriminate against a group of “protected” individuals. Conversely, many employers and employees alike appreciate the EEOC’s efforts to promote fair and equitable workplace environments, help educate about what constitutes “fair,” and help provide a level playing field for all. people who are currently employers or are looking for work.
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