This year marks the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency charged with protecting workers from discrimination.
Olophius E. Perry, director of the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office, which covers Southern California and Nevada, explains that the agency's mission has expanded over time.
Question: What is the role of the EEOC?
Answer: The agency is charged with enforcing Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments, from discriminating against employees based on their race, sex, color, national origin or religion.
We also enforce three other federal laws. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 prohibits employers from discriminating against workers 40 years of age or older.
EEOC also enforces the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which requires workers who are performing the same or similar duties to be paid equally, without regard to the sex of the worker.
The more recent federal law that was passed is called the Americans With Disabilities Act, which was passed in 1990 and prohibits employers from discriminating against an individual based on disability.
Q: If workers believe their employers have violated these laws, what should they do?
A: People who believe they have been subjected to discrimination under these laws can call, write or visit our office in Los Angeles to seek more information or to file a complaint. [Information on the agency can be found at eeoc.gov or (800) 669-4000.]
Q: What is the process for filing a complaint?
A: A person who comes [into] our office would be interviewed by an investigator, who would accept the information and formalize the complaint. Once we have a formal complaint, we notify the employer of the complaint and invite their response.
Q: Does that begin the investigative process?
A: I should add that before an investigation begins, we have the capability to attempt to resolve the complaint through mediation. The mediation service that we provide is free to the worker and the employer. The mediation is strictly confidential, and no information given during the mediation is passed on to our investigative staff if the mediation is unsuccessful.
Q: Is there any trend in the kinds of cases you're seeing in your office?
A: Three types of complaints historically remain high in our total volume.
