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Roundup of EEOC discrimination settlements

| Mar 17, 2017 | Workplace Discrimination

If you are routinely discriminated against at your job, it may seem hopeless. There is great power disparity between you and your employer. Sure, you could file a discrimination lawsuit, and you are nominally protected but the reality is that your employer is likely going to punish you for filing the suit and you will be forced to look for another. Additionally, with the job market still tight, you don’t want to develop a “litigious” reputation. With so many chips stacked against you, it may look like you will just have to swallow that discriminatory behavior.

Not, necessarily. The government operates several agencies who accept anonymous tips from employees who report a violation of their rights. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces safety and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulates all forms of discrimination.

The EEOC, like all government agencies, is required to operate transparently. Partly to fulfill that mission and to publicly shame violators, the EEOC regularly publishes companies that it sues and successfully cajoles into settlement or secures judgments at trial. This post will go over some of the latest violators. In February alone,

  • Covenant Transport paid $30,000 to settle a disability discrimination suit
  • Life Time Fitness agreed to pay $86,000 for a pregnancy discrimination violation
  • Graceworks Lutheran Services paid $30,600 for disability violations
  • S&B Industry settled for $110,000 to end a disability discrimination suit

And the list goes on and on. Those four cases alone accounted for over $200,000 in violations and it didn’t go back further February 22nd.

If you were the victim of workplace discrimination, you may want to contact a lawyer to review your options. As you can see, you aren’t limited to simply filing a lawsuit. You can file a claim with the EEOC or your local state regulator to launch an investigation. You can file the claim anonymously and you receive whistleblower protection. An attorney can advise you of the pros and cons of each choice and help you decide the best option for you and your family.

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