What is the Equal Opportunity Commission?
The EEOC is an agency of the federal government that was created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and their purpose is to interpret and enforce federal laws prohibiting discrimination from employees.
The EEOC administers equal opportunity laws for employees that must be abide by to protect workers. The EEOC accepts charges of discrimination from employees, investigates the charges, and attempts to mediate settlements between employees and employers.
What Rights Do I Have As A Federal Employee?
What happens if you are a federal employee and you have a discrimination, harassment, or retaliation claim from within the workplace? Then you must take initiative to file a complaint with the EEO office in your own agency.
This office will then take matters to investigate and process the complaint. The complaint is heard and a decision is typically issued by an administrative law judge. If you just so happen to not be satisfied with the outcome, then you can choose to appeal to the EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations.
If you choose to go about a lawsuit while the EEOC is processing your specific charge, then you can always request a right to sue letter. This document states that you have met the requirement of filing a charge and may proceed to court on the matter.
Requirements to Protect Private Employers, State and Local Governments, Educational Institutions, Employment Agencies and Labor Organizations
- Race, Color, Religion, Sex, National Origin: Employees and applicants are protected from discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and all aspects of employment. This includes based off of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
- Disability: Individuals are protected from discrimination for all aspects of employment on the basis of a disability. Disability discrimination occurs when reasonably accommodation is not made to the limitations of an otherwise qualified individual who is an applicant or employee.
- Age: Employees age 40 years or older are protected from discrimination based on age in hiring, promotion, etc.
- Sex (Wages): Sex discrimination and sex discrimination in the payment of wages to women and men performing substantially equal work, in jobs that require equal skill and effort, and responsibility under similar working conditions, apply.
- Genetics: The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) protects applicants and employees from genetic information discrimination. This genetic information mentioned includes information about genetic tests of applicants, employees, or their family members.
- Retaliation: Covered entities may not retaliate against a person who files a charge of discrimination, participates in a proceeding, or otherwise opposes an unlawful employment practice.
What Do You Do if You Believe Discrimination Has Occurred?
If you believe you have been discriminated against in the workplace, you should be aware of the time constraints. There are strict time limits for filing charges of employment discrimination. You should always contact EEOC promptly when discrimination is suspected (EEOC).
However, it never hurts to put your trust in a lawyer that understands your situation and has the experience to handle your case. You can contact RAWA today if you believe you want to file a lawsuit against a discriminating employer. Call today for a consultation to assess your needs.