On January 25, 2018 the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that a decreased number (from 2016) of 84,254 workplace discrimination charges were filed with the federal agency during the fiscal year of 2017.  These charges, lawsuits and settlements, secured $398 million for victims in private sector, state and local government workplaces, costing organizations and tax payers a significant amount of money.  “Retaliation, which topped the list, occurs when employers treat some people less favorably than others…that includes job applicants, employees, and former employees…the 41,097 retaliation charges the EEOC received made up nearly 49 percent of the complaints.”[i]

9 statistics on 2017 EEOC claims:

  1. “Race: 28,528 charges (33.9 percent).
  2. Disability: 26,838 charges (31.9 percent).
  3. Sex: 25,605 charges (30.4 percent).
  4. Age: 18,376 charges (21.8 percent).
  5. National origin: 8,299 charges (9.8 percent).
  6. Religion: 3,436 charges (4.1 percent).
  7. Color: 3,240 charges (3.8 percent).
  8. Equal Pay Act: 996 charges (1.2 percent).
  9. Genetic information: 206 charges (.2 percent).

*The percentages add up to more than 100 because some charges allege multiple bases.”[ii]

The EEOC also received 6,696 sexual harassment charges and obtained $46.3 million in monetary relief for the victims of these claims.  There are two types of sexual harassment claims included; quid pro quo (this for that) and creating a hostile work environment (a variety of issues in the workplace).

Overall, the number of EEOC filings decreased, as compared to 2016 data.  However, retaliation claims are on the rise and have been on the rise for many years.  As leaders, we need to understand that an employee filing a charge with the EEOC or the Department of Human Rights (NYS legislation), is as easy as going to a website and working through the steps, as outlined on the respected site.  The EEOC, in the past, has tweeted steps to submit a claim, through Twitter.  These claims are real, do not assume “this can never happen to our organization.”  It can, and it does happen to organizations of any size, in any location.  A culture of respect and zero-tolerance for discrimination and retaliation, while following up on allegations, will set the tone for reducing the likelihood of claims against our organizations.

The Department of Human Rights has not released statistics for 2017 claims.  Employees can file claims with the EEOC and/or Department of Human Rights, if there are issues in the workplace. Use the link below to learn more about what to do in the case of receiving an EEOC charge of discrimination, and as always, if you are uncertain about your compliance or HR practices, seek the assistance of a consultant and/or legal team for guidance.

What should I do if I receive an EEOC charge of discrimination?

[i] https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness/Pages/EEOC-Retaliation-Makes-Up-Almost-Half-of-Discrimination-Charges.aspx

[ii] https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/1-25-18.cfm

 

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Published by Mathew W. Burr, MJ-LEL, MBA, MHRIR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPHR-INT, Chartered CIPD

Mathew W. Burr, MJ-LEL, MBA, MHRIR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPHR-INT, Chartered MCIPD Lean Six Sigma Black Belt ABOUT: Matthew Burr has over 18-years of experience working in the human resources field, starting his career as an Industrial Relations Intern at Kennedy Valve Manufacturing to most recently founding and managing a human resource consulting company; Burr Consulting, LLC, Talentscape, LLC and Co-Owner of Labor Love, a Labor, and Employment Law poster printing company. Prior to founding the consulting firm, the majority of his career was heavy industry manufacturing and healthcare. He specializes in compliance auditing, training labor and employment law, conflict resolution, performance management, labor, and employment relations. Matthew has a generalist background in HR and operations, while providing strategic HR and operational solutions to his clients, focusing on small and medium sized organizations. He works as an Adjunct at Alfred State University, Tompkins Cortland Community College, and Montgomery Community College. He successfully designed an HR Concentration in the business management major that aligned with both SHRM and HRCI certifications, providing opportunities for students to sit for both the SHRM-CP and aPHR certifications upon completion of the degree, concentration, and internship hours as an Assistant Professor of Management at Elmira College (Retired January 2022). Matthew is also the SHRM Certification Exam Instructor, with a current pass rate of 92% on the SHRM-SCP and 83% pass rate on the SHRM-CP and a combined 88% on both exams over a 7-year period of instructing the course (Elmira College, Collin College & The College of St. Rose). Matthew works as a trainer at Tompkins Cortland Community College, Corning Community College, Broome Community College, and HR Instructor for Certification Preparation for the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). He also acts as an On-Call Mediator and Factfinder through the Public Employment Relations Board in New York State, working with public sector employers and labor unions. PUBLICATIONS: Matthew has over 70+ publications including, American Bar Association (ABA) Experience Magazine, Cornell HR Review, Business Insider, New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), PayScale, Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and Expert 360 (in Australia). In early 2017, he published his first book, “$74,000 in 24 Months: How I killed my student loans (and you can too!),” proceeded by his second book, which was published in January 2021, “Slay the Student Loan Dragon: Tips and Tricks on How to Conquer the Student Loan Game” and his most recent book, “Unbox Your HR Career” in July 2023. VOLUNTEER WORK: Matthew is currently the New York State Society of Human Resource Management (NYSSHRM) District-Director. EDUCATION & TRAINING: Additional Training & Development:  SHRM Workplace Coaching and Mentoring Recertification Program, 2020  SHRM Foundation Employing Abilities @Work Certificate, 2020  SHRM Foundation Veterans at Work Certificate Program, 2018  Delta County Chamber of Commerce: Delta Force Leadership Program, 2013 FEATURED IN & ON: Matthew was featured on CNN Money, Fast Company, Fits Small Business, Fox News, Magnify Money, Monster.com, My Twin Tiers, Namely, Student Loan Hero, Smart Sheet and CEO Blog Nation, Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Burr Consulting, LLC Capabilities Statement General Information: Burr Consulting, LLC Owner: Matthew W. Burr Mission Statement: “Strategically Aligning HR as a Partner for the Success of Your Business” Contact Information: Burr Consulting, LLC What's New in HR Blog Talentscape, LLC Labor Love, LLC (Labor Posters) The HR Support Center The Upstate HR Podcast (607)227-4386 Matthew@Burrconsultingllc.com Facebook: Burr Consulting, LLC LinkedIn: Burr Consulting, LLC Twitter: @Burrconsulting Online Certification Verification: Credibly Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Number: 080776443 NAICS Codes: 541612, 923130, 54161, 541611, 541613, 611430, 541618, 561312, 561311 SIC: 8742, 8748, 9441, 8748001, 8748026 Our Services HR MANAGEMENT New Hire Orientation; Temporary HR Support; Recruiting and Application Tracking; HR Compliance (ADA, FMLA); Employee Handbook; Policy and Procedure; HRIS; HR Audits; Job Profile Design and Revision; HR Key Performance Indicators; EEO Reporting and Classification; State Unemployment Insurance Services TRAINING & TRAINING DEVELOPMENT Organizational Development; Employee Relations; Workplace Violence; Harassment & Sexual Harassment; Union Awareness; Managerial EMPLOYEE & LABOR RELATIONS Employee Relations Training; Conflict Resolution; Mentoring; Workplace Investigations; Labor Contract Costing; Mediation & Arbitration Prep; Fact-Finding; Workplace Investigations; Coaching & Counseling; Performance Reviews; Contingency Plan Development; Contingency Plan Training; State of New York Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)PERB Mediation and Fact-Finding Panels (Albany, NY covering the Elmira, NY Area) HIRING & RECRUITMENT Applicant Tracking Systems; Metric Development; Interview Training; Workforce Planning; Recruitment; Interviews; Job Offers; New Hire Process POLICY & COMPENSATION Group Plans – Healthcare, Dental, Vision, Group Life, Short- and Long-Term Disability; Retirement – 401(k), Profit Sharing, Roth; Workers Compensation; Total Compensation Design and Strategy; Deferred Compensation Plans; Salary Surveys; Reward Systems; Online Payroll; Customized Payroll Processing; Employee Self Service; Customized Reporting HR COMPLIANCE MATERIALS Burr Consulting, LLC is excited to announce a new partnership with Labor Love LLC, expanding our services to include HR printed materials compliant with industry standards.

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