Legal Definitions - EEOC

EEOC stands for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The EEOC is a U.S. federal agency responsible for enforcing federal laws that prohibit discrimination against job applicants and employees. Created by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, its primary mission is to prevent and remedy unlawful employment discrimination. The laws enforced by the EEOC protect individuals from discrimination based on characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. Generally, these laws apply to employers with 15 or more employees and cover all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits.

Here are some examples illustrating how the EEOC's role:

• Example 1: Age Discrimination in Hiring
  A highly experienced software engineer, aged 55, applies for a senior developer position. Despite having a strong resume and excellent qualifications, she is repeatedly passed over for interviews in favor of significantly younger, less experienced candidates. During an informal networking event, she overhears a hiring manager from the company mention they are "looking for fresh talent" and "people who can grow with the company for decades." Believing she was discriminated against due to her age, she could file a charge with the EEOC. The EEOC would then investigate whether the company violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which it enforces, by denying her employment based on her age.

• Example 2: Religious Accommodation in the Workplace
  An employee who observes a specific religious holiday requests a day off for religious observance, as permitted by their faith. Their employer denies the request, stating it would cause an "undue burden" because another employee is also on vacation that day, even though there are other staff members available to cover the workload. The employee believes their employer is discriminating against them based on their religion by refusing a reasonable accommodation. They could file a complaint with the EEOC, which would investigate whether the employer failed to provide a reasonable religious accommodation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

• Example 3: Disability Discrimination and Reasonable Accommodation
  A graphic designer develops a chronic illness that causes severe fatigue and requires them to work from home two days a week. They provide medical documentation supporting this need and request a flexible work arrangement as a reasonable accommodation. Their employer, a company with 50 employees, denies the request outright, stating that "everyone must be in the office five days a week" and refuses to discuss alternatives. The graphic designer believes this refusal constitutes disability discrimination. They could file a charge with the EEOC, which would investigate if the employer violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide a reasonable accommodation for their disability without demonstrating undue hardship.