The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has announced that Fiscal Year 2011 saw a record number of Charges of Discrimination filed, 99,947. The agency recovered $364.6 million against employers through its enforcement actions, also a record. These numbers (which do not include statistics from state agencies such as California’s Department of Fair Employment & Housing, or civil lawsuits) are not surprising, given the persistently high jobless rate, but the fact is that employers are being accused more than ever of job discrimination and harassment. Good practices can help employers avoid agency filings and lawsuits. Have you had your employment policies reviewed lately? Have you trained your supervisory staff in how to avoid and prevent discrimination and harassment? We have seen time and again that the cost of developing good compliance strategies is a tiny fraction of the cost of defending litigation, and also provides a happier and more functional workforce.
