The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces many of the federal laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace, and is the agency through which employees file a discrimination claim. The EEOC also plays a preventative role, though, with outreach and educational programs, and publications designed to help employers understand discrimination and prevent it from occurring at their company.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces the following employment discrimination laws:

1. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
2. Equal Pay Act of 1963
3. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
4. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Sections 501 and 505
5. Titles I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
6. Civil Rights Act of 1991

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine what constitutes employment discrimination

The list of kinds of discrimination continues to grow and evolve. What was acceptable 20 years ago is now prohibited by federal law, and the EEOC site offers up-to-date information that can help you stay compliant. The EEOC Web site includes sections on every legally recognized and regulated kind of discrimination, including age, disability, pregnancy, race, religion and sex-based. You can also find information on sexual harassment, retaliation-based discrimination, and equal pay and compensation. The site includes the text for the specific laws and acts regarding each kind of discrimination, as well as an explanation of what kinds of organizations are covered by equal employment opportunity laws.

I recommend: Search for discrimination by type, find a complete list of EEOC regulations, or research enforcement guidelines for employment discrimination law. At the U.S. Department of Labor website, find out which federal laws prohibit employment discrimination.

Take an inside look at the EEOC complaint process

If a discrimination charge is ever filed against your company, you'll need to know how to prepare and what to expect. The agency's site explains exactly how EEOC cases are handled.

I recommend: The EEOC site outlines how a charge is filed and processed. Look into the EEOC's mediation process, which can help your company resolve a discrimination claim without going to court. At the U.S Department of Justice website, take a step-by-step look at the equal employment opportunity complaint process.

Get anti-discrimination training through the EEOC

The EEOC offers education and training to prevent discrimination on the job, through its no-cost outreach programs and its fee-based EEOC Training Institute. The outreach programs cover basic information about the EEOC, including what discrimination laws it enforces and how the discrimination charge/complaint process works. The outreach programs are available to employee and employer groups, professional associations, non-profit entities, community organizations, students and the general public. The EEOC Training Institute offers more comprehensive programs for private employers and state, local and federal government personnel.

I recommend: Attend a free workshop on the Americans with Disabilities Act, hold a corporate leadership conference through the EEOC, or bring fee-based, on-site EEOC training to your organization. Or, take an online training course through an outside provider such as New Media Learning.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The EEOC site is a great source of basic information about employment discrimination, but it's no substitute for hiring a discrimination lawyer to help you create anti-discrimination policies or review your existing guidelines. And, if a discrimination complaint is filed, you'll need an attorney who specializes in employment or discrimination law to help you defend your company or reach a settlement out-of-court.