EEOC by the Numbers: Latest Statistics Reveal Enforcement Trends

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced its enforcement trends for fiscal year 2014. The Performance and Accountability Report reveals that the number of charges filed dipped slightly, which the EEOC attributed to the lingering effects of sequestration and the government shutdown. Despite the fiscal challenges early in the year, the report notes that the EEOC recently hired 300 new staff members to investigate and prosecute discrimination charges. Accordingly, employers should expect the EEOC to continue its aggressive enforcement strategy. To avoid being on the receiving end of an EEOC charge, employers should be aware of the agency’s enforcement trends. Below is a brief summary:

• The EEOC secured $296.1 million in monetary relief for victims of employment discrimination in private sector and state and local government workplaces through mediation, conciliation and other administrative enforcement.
• The EEOC also secured $22.5 million in monetary relief for charging parties through litigation, and $74 million in monetary relief for federal employees and applicants.
• The agency filed 133 merits lawsuits, including 105 individual lawsuits, 11 non-systemic class lawsuits, and 17 systemic lawsuits.
• Of the merits lawsuits, 76 involved Title VII claims, 49 involved Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) claims, 12 involved Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) claims, two involved Equal Pay Act (EPA) claims, and two involved Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA) claims.
• Systemic lawsuits, which address policies or patterns or practices that have a broad impact on a region, industry or entire class of employees or job applicants, comprised 25 percent of the agency’s litigation in FY 2014. This was the largest proportion of systemic suits since tracking began in FY 2006.
• The EEOC conducted 260 systemic investigations, of which 78 resulted in settlements and conciliation agreements. In total, the agency obtained nearly $13 million in monetary relief.
• The EEOC’s mediation program resolved disputes in 7,846 of the 10,221 mediations conducted, which resulted in $144.6 million in settlement benefits.