Alliance Training

For all your
Corporate Training and
Employee Development Needs

View our Human Resources Courses

The Latest EEOC Harassment Statistics

 

Harassment Stats and Important Employer Take-Aways


By: Dale Mask

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has just released enforcement and litigation statistics for fiscal year (FY) 2018. This data is for EEOC enforcement and litigation.

The following EEOC enforcement data is related to workplace harassment claims filed with the EEOC against private employers. 

EEOC statistics indicate some strong Take-Aways for employers.

Fiscal year 2018 saw a 13.6 percent increase in sexual harassment claims.

The EEOC reported that it obtained $56.6 million in monetary benefits for sexual harassment victims.

Plus, $505,000,000 damages was secured for alleged victims of all forms of discrimination in the private and public sector.

On April 10, 2019, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released its fiscal year 2018 claim data and claim resolution data. Retaliation claims continued to be the charge filed most frequently. In 2018, the EEOC claims to have secured $505,000,000 for alleged victims of discrimination in the private and public sector.

The agency reported receiving 76,418 workplace discrimination charges in FY 2018. At the same time, the EEOC reported resolving 90,558 charges and reducing its charge backlog by 19.5 percent.

More than half of the charges (39,469) filed during 2018 were for retaliation, leading the next most frequently filed type of claim by more than 10,000 charges. The top five types of charges filed in FY 2018 were:

  • Retaliation: 39,469 (51.6 percent)
  • Sex: 24,655 (32.3 percent)
  • Disability: 24,605 (32.2 percent)
  • Race: 24,600 (32.2 percent)
  • Age: 16,911 (22.1 percent)

Note: The total percentage exceeds 100 percent because some charges alleged more than one type of discrimination.)

Nearly one-third of the sex discrimination claims filed (7,609) were for sexual harassment - a 13.6 percent increase over the previous year.

The EEOC tied the increase in sexual harassment charges to the continued impact of the #MeToo movement. Victoria A. Lipnic, EEOC acting chair, said, "We cannot look back on last year without noting the significant impact of the #MeToo movement in the number of sexual harassment and retaliation charges filed with the agency."

Employer Take-Aways

The data shows there is no decrease in harassment claims. Employers should reflect upon the EEOC’s FY 2015 data and incorporate some lessons learned.

  • Employers should provide comprehensive sexual harassment training to both employees and supervisors. Harassment charges remain among the most prevalent and most difficult to dismiss for lack of probable cause.
  • Employers should provide sufficient training on retaliation. The training should drive home the point that even if an employee’s complaint is without merit, retaliation is unacceptable and unlawful.

Note: States with the greatest EEOC activity (including all areas of discrimination) include: New York, California, Texas, and Florida.
(You can review all EEOC enforcement statistics by going to www.eeoc.gov.)


By: Dale Mask

© 2018 Alliance Training and Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

View our Human Resource Courses

Back to Top

© Alliance Training 2024