Orange County California Employment Lawyer

The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission

The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission was created as a result of the Title VII legislation in the Civil Rights Act. The commission investigates cases and accusations of discrimination in the workplace. It also provides guidance on affirmative employment program planning and discrimination complaint processing to Federal agencies.

History

A year after the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission began its mission to eradicate discrimination in the workplace. It was anticipated that the newly formed administration would receive approximately 2,000 complaints, or charges, of violations of civil rights in the work places. In its inaugural year, the EEOC received over 8,000 charges, more than surpassing the expected work load.

In its early years the EEOC used the powers it had to help define discrimination in the workplace and develop the basic procedural and substantive parameters of equal employment opportunity law. In the 1970’s the commission’s efforts shifted towards focusing on enforcement efforts on systematic discrimination.

The following decade saw a renewed commitment from the EEOC to education, outreach, and technical assistance. The EEOC helped pass the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and took on the challenge of addressing new forms of bias like age-based discrimination.

Today

The EEOC continues its elusive mission of ensuring equal treatment for all workers. Its spectrum of protection does not cover only those left out of the work force because of their race, but also sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, and religion.

If you have been the victim of discrimination or harassment in the workplace because of your race, sex, religion, or any other factor, contact Orange County employment lawyer Perry Smith at 888.356.2529 for a free consultation. We will discuss your rights and further legal options.