Ensure that your company's human resource staff is well versed in the intricacies of EEO law to avoid huge penalties that may result from a failure to abide by statutory requirements prohibiting discrimination in employment practices. Equal employment laws stem from the Civil Rights Act of 1964. State governments are required to ensure that companies doing business in those states provide equal employment opportunity to all citizens.

Equal opportunity laws have been the subject of heated public debate over their necessity and effectiveness. Monitoring this debate will offer you insight into the proper application of these laws in your own business. A comprehensive equal employment opportunity law education and training should comprise the following:

1. Rely upon federal statutes setting forth equal employment opportunity laws that states must follow.

2. Learn how to apply EEO law by reading authoritative commentaries written by legal professionals.

3. Complete formal course work on equal opportunity laws so that you will know how to implement them in your company's human resources practices.

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Consult the official government sources that equal opportunity lawyers depend on

The first step for any educational program on EEO law should be to find out what a complaint based upon an employer's failure to follow EEO law looks like and how long the review process can take. You'll also want to know whether complainants may file an appeal.

I recommend: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission explains the process of filing a complaint based upon allegations of workplace discrimination. Read how the U.S. General Services Administration is required to comply with EEO law. The website also identifies the various federal acts that relate to ensuring equal employment opportunity.

Educate yourself using articles that define the issues surrounding equal employment opportunity law

A solid training program on EEO law must encourage employees to learn what public policy experts are saying about the effect of these laws on the groups they are intended to protect. Monitor the public debate over EEO law to track changes made to these laws.

I recommend: Scholarly articles relating to equal opportunity law on High Beam explain how these laws impact minorities in different settings. The University of Michigan website presents case law analyzing how courts apply EEO law. Discussion articles on US Legal explain the basics of equal employment opportunity laws and terminology related to them.

Take online training courses to learn the basics of equal employment rights

Distance learning programs and online educational courses are either taught by practicing equal opportunity attorneys or provide resource materials written by these attorneys.

I recommend: Interactive Employment Training offers programs that will train HR professionals in how to comply with EEO regulations. Train Up.com offers a three-day seminar focusing on equal opportunity employment law compliance. HR Training Center.com offers a one-stop program geared to EEO law basics that HR managers and support staff must know.

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• •  Equal opportunity employment laws also require companies to ensure that they provide a harassment-free work environment and inform their employees that retaliatory action will not be taken against whistle blowers.

Most of us know there are equal employment opportunity laws in place to protect our employees and ourselves from workplace harassment and the costly litigation that can follow. But how do we as employers ensure we are doing all we can to protect our employees from infringements to their equal employment rights?

It is important to remember that equal opportunity laws are not intended to protect only minority or other special protected groups; instead, equal opportunity employment laws protect all employees from discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, and so forth. EEO law affects every part of the employment process, from the help wanted ad placed in the local newspaper to the exit interview when employment ends. Some primary examples of equal employment opportunity law currently on the books are:

1. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) which, protects against gender-based wage discrimination.

2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects against discrimination based on race, gender, color, national origin and religion.

3. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals 40 years old and older against age-based discrimination under equal opportunity laws.

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Ask an EEO law expert

Equal opportunity lawyers can be your best friends. Hiring an attorney who is fluent in equal employment laws to review your employment policies and procedures can protect you and your employees...and save you time and money in the long run.

I recommend: If you can't support an equal employment lawyer on your staff full time, online legal consultants can be your next best bet. Legal experts at Just Answer Corp. or RequestLegalHelp.com can give quick, reliable answers to your questions about equal opportunity law.

Educate yourself on equal employment opportunity laws

Knowledge is power...and arming yourself with at least a basic education about EEO law is a good way to ensure you stay ahead of unforeseen problems in the workplace.

I recommend: Comprehensive and highly interactive online courses in Equal Employment Opportunity Law are available at eCornell and Employment Law Learning Technologies. Because they are online, you can fit them into your busy schedule at your convenience.

Educate your staff about the importance of equal employment rights in the workplace

Remind your staff about the importance of keeping your business a harassment-free environment. This can save you time, money, and headaches. Make anti-discrimination a team effort. Train your staff members to embrace equal opportunity and anti-harrassment policies.

I recommend: Compliance training is available online through Brightline Compliance. To build an anti discrimination library for ongoing employee training, HumaNext offers videos on sexual harassment for current and future training opportunities.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be proactive when dealing with Equal Opportunity Law in the workplace. Having an equal opportunity employment attorney review your employment paperwork and policies before you implement them in the workplace will help ensure a trouble-free work environment for you and your staff.

Equal employment opportunity laws are federal regulations enacted in the United States at various times since the 1960s. The purpose of these laws is to prohibit the practice of any form of discrimination in the workplace, whether that discrimination is based upon sex, race, religion or national origin. Since 1964, when the federal government made its first forceful declaration of its anti-discrimination in the workplace stance, the laws have been amended by various acts to keep up with changes in society. Considering that businesses that do not comply with these laws face stiff penalties, there's no denying just how important it is for you to become conversant with equal employment opportunity law key terms.

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The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)

When the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was amended to ensure that women who performed the same work as men did not receive less pay, it was called the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

I recommend: Access EEOC to read the complete text of the Equal Pay Act, particularly the sections discussing how the act affects minimum-wage laws and the limited exemptions to minimum-wage and maximum-hour requirements.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

With the passage of Title VII, it became illegal for any employer to refuse to hire, promote, protect the rights, or provide benefits to or extend any other privileges of employment to individuals on the basis of their race, religious creed or sex.

I recommend: Find Law presents Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in its entirety. Pay special attention to the legal definitions set forth in subsections (a) through (i) of Section 701.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)

Any business that employs more than 20 people must comply with the ADEA. Passed in 1967, this federal law protects employees who are older than 40 from being terminated, passed over for promotions, exempted from other benefits or forced to retire simply because of their age.

I recommend: Check out HumanResourceBlog, which discusses exceptions to the law.

Harassment-free environment

Equal opportunity employment law experts counsel business owners that in order to demonstrate their compliance with these laws they must strive to create harassment-free environments. The term refers to a workplace in which supervisors don't tolerate inappropriate comments, intimidation or any other forms of inappropriate conduct.

I recommend: Bridgepoint uses real-life situations to demonstrate how employers and HR staffers can put these goals into practice.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Passage of the Rehabilitation Act in 1973 meant that disabled persons were now under the umbrella of federal employment laws and could not bear the brunt of discrimination from their employers.

I recommend: Find the verbatim text of this act from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The preamble compares Sections 501 and 505 to this addendum of the United States Code.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

Though closely related to the ADEA of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act was further amended in 1990. The revisions mainly concerned legal definitions of disabilities and qualifications standards.

I recommend: Not only can you get the full text version of the amended 1990 Act at ADA, but you can also compare it with previous editions by reviewing the language that was deleted.