T
The Daily Insight

What is covered under EEOC

Author

Rachel Hickman

Published Mar 18, 2026

The laws enforced by EEOC protect you from employment discrimination when it involves: Unfair treatment because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, disability, age (age 40 or older), or genetic information.

What is covered under the Equal employment Opportunity Act?

RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, protects applicants and employees from discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, …

What types of discrimination are not covered by the EEOC?

Under the laws enforced by EEOC, it is illegal to discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

What type of cases does the EEOC handle?

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or …

What are the 14 protected categories?

  • Race.
  • Color.
  • Religion or creed.
  • National origin or ancestry.
  • Sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity).
  • Age.
  • Physical or mental disability.
  • Veteran status.

What are examples of discrimination in the workplace?

  • Not getting hired.
  • Being passed over for a promotion.
  • Enduring inappropriate comments.
  • Getting fired because of your status as a member of a protected class.
  • Denying an employee certain compensation or benefits.
  • Denying disability leave, retirement options, or maternity leave.

What are the 4 laws that protect against discrimination?

The laws enforced by EEOC makes it unlawful for Federal agencies to discriminate against employees and job applicants on the bases of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age. … Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.

Is an EEOC charge serious?

Even when you think you have done everything right, you may still face a complaint under EEOC regulations. While an internal complaint at your company can be easy to resolve, charges filed with an official agency may have serious consequences if not handled correctly.

How serious is an EEOC complaint?

In severe cases, the EEOC will sue on the employee’s behalf; in other cases, the EEOC will issue a right to sue order to the employee. The employee will then have 90 days to file a lawsuit with the federal court. Regardless of the suing party, a lawsuit will cause bad publicity and legal expense.

What happens when the EEOC determines that an employer is guilty?

If the EEOC finds evidence to support the claim of discrimination, the agency will notify the charging party and the employer in a determination letter. It will then try conciliation with the employer to try to reach a remedy. … The charging party will then have 90 days to file a lawsuit against the employer.

Article first time published on

What questions are employers not allowed to ask?

  • Age or genetic information.
  • Birthplace, country of origin or citizenship.
  • Disability.
  • Gender, sex or sexual orientation.
  • Marital status, family, or pregnancy.
  • Race, color, or ethnicity.
  • Religion.

What can you sue an employer for?

  • unfairly dismissed.
  • discriminated against (for example, due to race, sex or religion)
  • wrongfully dismissed.
  • victim of harassment in the workplace.
  • constructively dismissed.
  • redundancy.
  • stress-related illnesses.
  • after an accident at work.

What are employers not allowed to discriminate against?

Employers generally can’t discriminate against employees and applicants based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 and older), disability, sickle cell trait, genetic information or pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.

What is classed as unfair treatment at work?

What Constitutes Unfair Treatment? It is illegal to harass or discriminate against someone because of so-called “protected characteristics” such as age, disability, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, color, nationality and sex.

What are the 9 grounds of discrimination?

The inclusive school prevents and combats discrimination. It is one that respects, values and accommodates diversity across all nine grounds in the equality legislation – gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller community.

What types of people are not protected?

  • Education Level;
  • Economic Class;
  • Social Membership;
  • Illegal or Undocumented Aliens;
  • People with Criminal Records.

How do you tell if you are being discriminated against at work?

  1. Inappropriate joking. Many of us know co-workers or supervisors who make inappropriate jokes. …
  2. Minimal diversity. …
  3. Role ruts. …
  4. Promotion pass–over. …
  5. Poor reviews. …
  6. Questionable interview questions.

What's considered work harassment?

Harassment is defined unwelcomed behavior and policies that are based upon an employee’s race, color, creed religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, sex (including pregnancy and maternity), national origin, age (40 or older), physical or mental disability or genetic information.

Which of the following are considered types of negative employment actions?

Negative Action Examples of materially adverse actions include demotion, discipline, firing, salary reduction, negative evaluations, transfer, change in job assignments, change in job duties, change in shift, or change in other terms and conditions of employment.

What are three 3 examples of discrimination?

  • someone saying hurtful things or attacking you repeatedly.
  • being made fun of.
  • being excluded or left out.
  • having a group of people gang up on you.
  • being made to do hurtful or inappropriate things.
  • being threatened.

What is an example of unfair discrimination?

Discrimination is regarded as unfair when it imposes burdens or withholds benefits or opportunities from any person on one of the prohibited grounds listed in the Act, namely: race, gender, sex, pregnancy, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, …

What are 3 examples of discrimination?

  • Age Discrimination.
  • Disability Discrimination.
  • Sexual Orientation.
  • Status as a Parent.
  • Religious Discrimination.
  • National Origin.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Sexual Harassment.

Should I tell my employer I filed an EEOC complaint?

Once you file a charge, the EEOC will notify your employer. … The law protects you from retaliation for asserting your rights, and you should immediately tell the EEOC investigator if you believe your employer has taken action against you because you filed a charge.

When should you go to the EEOC?

You should contact the EEOC if you believe: You are being treated differently or harassed at work because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, disability, or genetic information.

How long does an employer have to respond to an EEOC complaint?

We ask that you provide a response within 20 days from the date you receive it. For more information, see EEOC Procedures for Respondent Position Statements. We may also ask the employer to answer questions we have about the claims in your charge.

Can you be fired for filing an EEOC complaint?

In most cases, firing an employee isn’t illegal. Firing an employee because he filed a claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission constitutes employer retaliation, which is illegal.

How do you win the EEOC case?

  1. Hire a Qualified Attorney. EEOC complaints do not necessarily have to result in court cases. …
  2. Maintain Composure. Mediators handle sensitive issues. …
  3. Prepare Relevant Documentation. …
  4. Consider Reaching Out to Coworkers. …
  5. Be as Professional as Possible.

How does the EEOC investigate?

An investigation of a formal complaint of discrimination is an official inquiry into claims raised in an EEO complaint. EEO investigations may include a variety of fact-finding methods such as interviews, a fact-finding conference, requests for information, interrogatories, and/or affidavits.

What happens if you lose an EEOC case?

What happens if the EEOC does not find a violation? If no violation is found, the EEOC sends you and your company a notice closing the case called a “Dismissal and Notice of Rights.” You then have 90 days to file your own lawsuit.

How much is the average EEOC settlement?

According to EEOC data, the average out-of-court settlement for employment discrimination claims is about $40,000. Studies of verdicts have shown that about 10% of wrongful termination cases result in a verdict of $1 million or more.

How long does an HR investigation take?

A: An investigation should start immediately after you become aware of a situation. Depending on how many witnesses are involved and how many people need to be interviewed, an investigation should take 24-72 hours.