Last week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that 93,277 workplace discrimination charges were filed with the federal agency nationwide during its fiscal year that ended September 30, 2009. More than $376 million was awarded to the complainants. 

Some factors contributing to this near-historic level of charge filings may be greater accessibility of the EEOC to the public, economic conditions, increased diversity and demographic shifts in the labor force, employees’ greater awareness of their rights under the law, and changes to the agency’s intake practices that cut down on the steps needed for an individual to file a charge.

No matter what the reasons are, however, it is clear that employers must ensure that their businesses are free of discriminatory practices. Management 2000, an Indiana PEO Company has skilled professionals who can help employers comply with the myriad of labor and employment laws at all levels, federal, state and local.