The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: An Overview
Mission
The mission of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is to eradicate
employment discrimination at the workplace.
Statutory Authority
The EEOC was established by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and began operating on July 2,
1965. The EEOC enforces the following federal statutes:
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, prohibiting employment discrimination on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin;
- the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967, as amended, prohibiting employment
discrimination against individuals 40 years of age and older;
- the Equal Pay Act (EPA) of 1963 prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender in compensation
for substantially similar work under similar conditions;
- Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, prohibiting employment
discrimination on the basis of disability in the private sector and state and local government;
- Section 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, prohibiting employment
discrimination against federal employees with disabilities; and,
- the Civil Rights Act of 1991 providing monetary damages in cases of intentional discrimination and
clarifying provisions regarding disparate impact actions.
EEOC Enforcement Activities
Overview
With its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and through the operations of 50 field offices nationwide,
the EEOC coordinates all federal equal employment opportunity regulations, practices, and policies.
The Commission interprets employment discrimination laws, monitors the federal sector employment
discrimination program, provides funding and support to state and local Fair Employment Practices
Agencies (FEPAs), and sponsors outreach and technical assistance programs.
Any individual who believes he or she has been discriminated against in employment may file an
administrative charge with the EEOC. After investigating the charge, the EEOC determines if there is
reasonable cause to believe discrimination has occurred. If reasonable cause is found, the EEOC
attempts to conciliate the charge by reaching a voluntary resolution between the charging party and the
respondent. If conciliation is not successful, the Commission may bring suit in federal court. As part of
the administrative process, the EEOC may also issue a Right-to-Sue-Notice to the charging party,
allowing the charging party to file an individual action in court without the Agency's involvement.
Charge Handling System
The EEOC receives between 75,000 and 80,000 charges annually. Under the Commission's charge
processing system, all charges are classified in one of three basic categories for purposes of
investigation and resource allocation: Category A charges are given priority investigative and settlement
efforts due to the early recognition that discrimination has likely occurred; Category B charges require
further investigation to determine if a violation has occurred; and Category C charges include non-
jurisdictional and unsupported charges that are closed immediately. Settlements are encouraged at all
stages of the process.
FY 2000 Enforcement Highlights
- Received 79,896 charges of discrimination: 21,961 A charges (27.5%); 43,493 B charges
(54.4%); and 13,698 C charges (17.1%).
- Obtained a record-breaking $245.7 million for victims of discrimination through pre-litigation
administrative enforcement.
- Cut the average charge processing time to 216 days, down from 265 days in FY 1999, 310 days
in FY 1998, and 379 days in FY 1996.
- Increased the number of merit resolutions (those resolutions with favorable outcomes to the
charging party) to 21% up from 17% in FY 1999, 12% in FY 1998, and 9% in FY 1996.
National Enforcement Plan
In February 1996, the Commission voted to implement the National Enforcement Plan (NEP) to
improve the Agency's administrative and litigation enforcement procedures. The NEP established
priorities for processing and litigating private sector discrimination charges; outlined strategies for
developing Local Enforcement Plans (LEPs) in EEOC field offices; and delegated autonomous authority
to the General Counsel to intercede, without prior approval from the Commission, in matters involving
routine litigation.
National Mediation Program
EEOC's mediation-based alternative dispute resolution (ADR) program encourages all parties, with the
assistance of a neutral mediator, to voluntarily participate in confidential deliberations that resolve
discrimination issues in appropriate cases. A comprehensive report on those who participated in the
mediation program, prepared in FY 2000 by a consortium of professors from Maryland colleges and
universities, concluded that the overwhelming majority of employers (96%) and charging parties (91%)
said they would use the program again if party to an EEOC charge. Moreover, the report also showed
that both employers and charging parties expressed strong satisfaction with the EEOC mediation
process, finding it to be a highly effective dispute resolution mechanism.
FY 2000 Mediation Highlights
- Increased the number of successful resolutions through voluntary mediation by 52% to 7,438,
up from 4,833 in FY 1999 and 1,631 in FY 1998.
- Obtained $108.4 million in monetary benefits through mediation, up from $58.5 million in FY
1999 and $17 million in FY 1998.
- Maintained a settlement success rate for mediated cases of 65%.
- Mediated cases on an average of 96 days.
Small Business Initiative
EEOC's Small Business Initiative focuses on small and mid-sized businesses which may lack the
resources to implement effective anti-discrimination measures. To improve its relationship with small
and mid-sized employers, the EEOC expanded its voluntary mediation program nationwide, designated
a small business liaison in every district office, published public information material in "plain language,"
updated the small business information section on its Web site, and developed regional small business
outreach plans in EEOC field offices. Through the initiative, the Commission continues to improve
customer service and expand outreach, education, and technical assistance to the employer community.
FY 2000 Small Business Highlights
- Received an agency rating of "Excellent" by the Small Business Administration's National
Ombudsman for Regulatory Fairness.
Comprehensive Enforcement Plan
The Comprehensive Enforcement Program (CEP), formulated and launched in FY 1999, improves all
aspects of EEOC's private and federal sector operations. Under the CEP, enforcement and legal
resources are linked to provide efficient and effective service to the public. In the private sector, the
CEP emphasizes collaboration among EEOC outreach, investigatory, and legal staff in improving
customer service; increasing outreach, education, and technical assistance to employers; quickly
resolving charges more effectively; and enforcing the law when employers fail to voluntarily take
corrective action. The federal sector CEP links all of EEOC's responsibilities outreach, complaint
adjudication, on-site reviews, training, technical assistance, and data analysis to streamline the federal
process in addressing equal employment opportunity (EEO) complaints.
FY 2000 CEP Highlights
- Obtained a combined total of $293.2 million in monetary benefits for private sector victims of
employment discrimination through administrative resolutions, mediation, and litigation.
- Slashed the pending inventory (backlog) of charges to a 17-year low of 34,297 down 15%
from 40,184 in FY 1999 and 69% from an all-time high of over 111,000 charges in FY 1995.
Litigation
Through its litigation program, overseen by the Office of General Counsel, EEOC files lawsuits in a
wide variety of professional fields addressing egregious discrimination on behalf of individuals in various
occupations. In addition, the Commission files amicus curiae or "friend of the court" briefs in appellate
and trial courts in support of Commission positions, usually in cases involving issues important to the
development of the laws EEOC enforces.
FY 2000 Litigation Highlights
- Filed 327 suits and resolved 428 suits.
- Obtained $47 million in monetary relief for victims of discrimination.
- Increased the percentage of policy and multiple party cases in the active litigation docket to
38%, up from 32% in FY 1999 and 28% in FY 1996.
State and Local Programs
The EEOC contracts with approximately 90 state and local Fair Employment Practices Agencies
(FEPAs) to process discrimination charges. These claims are filed under state and local laws prohibiting
employment discrimination as well as federal laws enforced by the EEOC.
FY 2000 FEPA Highlights
- FEPAs resolved 55,785 charges under contract with the EEOC. These charges are in addition
to the 79,896 received by the EEOC in FY 2000.
Federal Sector Program
In addition to private sector enforcement, EEOC enforces anti-discrimination laws in the federal sector.
EEOC conducts thousands of hearings each year for federal employees who have filed discrimination
complaints. When a federal agency issues a final decision on a discrimination complaint, the complainant
can appeal the decision to the EEOC if he/she is not satisfied with the outcome. The Commission also
ensures that federal agencies maintain EEO programs required under Title VII and the Rehabilitation
Act. Moreover, under Executive Order 12067, the Commission coordinates all federal programs and
administers EEO statutes, executive orders, regulations, and policies that have EEO implications.
FY 2000 Federal Sector Highlights
- Reduced the federal sector hearings inventory by 13% and the appeals inventory by 14% from
their FY 1999 levels.
Outreach Activities
EEOC's outreach, education, and technical assistance efforts are vital components of the agency's
mission to eradicate employment discrimination. The goal of the agency's outreach program is twofold:
first, to encourage and facilitate voluntary compliance with the anti-discrimination laws among
employers and employer groups in the private and federal sectors; and second, to increase knowledge
about individual rights under the anti-discrimination laws among the public and employee groups.
FY 2000 Outreach Highlights
- Conducted a record 2,961 outreach, educational, and technical assistance events reaching more
than 218,000 people nationwide including 242 events geared toward small business audiences
attended by 8,628 people.
Budget and Staffing
EEOC's budget for the current fiscal year, FY 2001, is $303 million. The total number of agency staff
nationwide, at headquarters and field offices, was 2,852 as of the close of FY 2000. The President's
budget request for EEOC for FY 2002 is $310 million, a $7 million increase (2.3%) over the current
operating budget. The level of resources requested for FY 2002 will sustain the many significant
program enhancements achieved over the past five years in the timeliness and quality of service to the
public.
This page was last modified on July 25, 2001.
The above article was reprinted from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Check the EEOC website for any changes to the article.
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