U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Knowing your rights as a member of the American workforce is a key component of ensuring equal opportunity.

Here are four basic protections provided by law:

1️⃣ You have a right to work free from discrimination. This means your employer cannot make job decisions because of your race, color, religion, s*x, national origin, disability or pregnancy status, or genetic information. Discrimination against workers over 40 based on their age is also unlawful.

2️⃣ You have a right to work in an environment free of harassment. This protection applies to harassment on the basis of all of the above characteristics.

3️⃣ You have a right to request reasonable changes to your workplace because of your religious beliefs, disability, or pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.

4️⃣You have a right to be protected from retaliation should you feel subject to illegal job discrimination and choose to file a complaint.

The EEOC stands ready to vigorously enforce the law to ensure these rights are protected.

Learn more about your rights by going to EEOC.gov or contacting your local field office for more information.
https://www.eeoc.gov/filing-charge-discrimination

A qualified deaf applicant responded to an interview offer from Walmart with a request for an ASL interpreter. After Walmart received the request, they ended the hiring process altogether, the EEOC charged.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers must provide reasonable accommodations during the hiring process – absent undue hardship – ensuring qualified applicants with disabilities have equal access to employment opportunities. For deaf applicants, that can include providing an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for interviews.

Reasonable accommodation in hiring is not optional: it is a legal obligation and an essential part of equal opportunity in the workplace.

In addition to monetary relief for the applicant, Walmart must maintain a list of ASL interpreters and train hiring staff on the accommodation process.

“This type of relief is particularly important because it is how we keep the workforce accessible to persons with disabilities, who can be valuable and productive employees when the door is open to them.” -- Catherine Eschbach, acting EEOC general counsel

Learn more: https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/walmart-pay-230000-deaf-applicant-eeoc-disability-hiring-discrimination-suit

: American civil rights laws are designed to protect Americans. That includes Title VII’s protections for the American worker to be free from national origin discrimination.

National origin discrimination doesn’t just mean discrimination against foreign-born workers. Under Title VII, American workers are also protected from national origin discrimination.

No national origin discrimination is acceptable. And discriminating against Americans in American workplaces is a clear violation of equal opportunity principles.

: Last week, the agency took decisive action, filing suit against a New Mexico construction company after at least two employees were subjected to anti-American slurs by their Mexican coworkers and mocked over their lack of Spanish fluency, according to the charge.

The EEOC will not stand by and allow anti-American bias to infect this nation’s workplaces.

READ MORE: https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-sues-advanced-technology-group-inc-national-origin-discrimination-and-retaliation

Attention small business owners, the EEOC offers a dedicated Small Business Resource Center designed to make compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws easier to understand and apply.

Resources include:
• Clear explanations of your legal obligations
• Tips for handling everyday workplace situations
• FAQs on hiring, discipline, and employee rights
• A free employment rights poster
• A simple, one-page fact sheet available in 30+ languages

Whether you're hiring your first employee or managing a growing team, these tools can help you prevent discrimination and respond effectively if issues arise.
https://www.eeoc.gov/employers/small-business

The EEOC’s partnership with the Department of Labor through Project Firewall takes on unlawful national origin discrimination to ensure fair opportunities for all workers.

The effort focuses on preventing hiring practices that unfairly favor certain groups, including situations where employers prioritize visa holders over qualified American workers in violation of federal law.

The EEOC has also released resources to help workers and employers understand their rights under Title VII, which protects against discrimination based on national origin.

Key reminder: No business reason, whether cost, customer preference, or stereotypes, justifies illegal discrimination.

If you think you’ve experienced discrimination, it’s important to act quickly and understand your rights.

Learn more here: https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-releases-new-and-updated-educational-materials-national-origin-discrimination

According to a new EEOC lawsuit, a well-qualified white male employee of The New York Times Co. was passed over for promotion because of his race and/or s*x. The New York Times, which has a publicly documented commitment to enacting race and s*x conscious decision making in the workforce through its DEI policies, acted in accordance with such policies and goals when it excluded a longtime editor, a white man with extensive experience in real estate journalism, from final interviews for a Deputy Real Estate Editor role, while all selected finalists for the position were not white males. The position was ultimately filled by an external candidate with less relevant experience, according to the suit.

The suit highlights an important legal principle: Title VII protections apply equally to all individuals.

Employment decisions motivated—even in part—by race or s*x are unlawful, and there is no exception for diversity-related goals.

“There is no such thing as “reverse discrimination”; all race or s*x discrimination is equally unlawful, according to long-established civil rights principles. The EEOC is prepared to root out discrimination anywhere it may rear its head. No matter the size or power of the employer, the EEOC under my leadership will not pull punches in ensuring evenhanded, colorblind enforcement of Title VII to protect America’s workers, including white males.” -EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas.

Additionally, EEOC guidance makes clear that DEI programs must comply with federal law. Employers must ensure that hiring, promotions, and other workplace decisions are based on merit and do not involve protected characteristics.

Learn more: https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-sues-new-york-times-dei-related-race-and-s*x-discrimination

And read the full complaint for yourself:https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2026-05/EEOC_v_NYT_Compl._Filed.pdf

Imagine working for a company for over a decade then being fired because of your national origin.

According to a recent EEOC lawsuit, 16 janitors were fired due to their national origin. Some of the employees worked at the company for over a decade. The EEOC also alleged the workers faced unequal treatment, including offensive remarks and unfavorable job assignments.

Federal law is clear: employment decisions cannot be based on race or national origin.

In addition to the monetary payment, the company must train management on compliance with anti-discrimination laws; inform non-supervisory employees about their rights in both English and Spanish; and report to the EEOC on terminations and complaints of race or national origin discrimination.

https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/rr-janitorial-services-pay-125m-eeoc-national-origin-discrimination-lawsuit

A recent federal lawsuit highlights an important reminder: employees with disabilities should be afforded reasonable accommodations — not demotions.

Smiths Detection, Inc. agreed to pay $100,000 to settle an EEOC disability discrimination case after demoting an employee with hearing loss who requested protective equipment to protect her residual hearing. Instead of engaging in the required interactive process to find a reasonable solution, the company reassigned her to a lower-paying role.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) exists to ensure fairness, dignity, and equal opportunity in the workplace. Employers must work with employees to provide accommodations unless it creates an undue hardship — not push them aside.

If you or someone you know may be facing disability discrimination, it’s important to understand your rights and options.

👉 Learn more: https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc-disability-related-resources

Qualified. Hired. ➡️ And ready to work.

Accommodation requested. ➡️ Fired.

A newly hired employee who is blind requested a reasonable accommodation, specifically a way to access the computer systems he needed to do his job at a North Carolina call center.

According to the EEOC, instead of finding a solution, the company said it couldn’t accommodate him, and fired him.

In addition to monetary payment, the company will work with an accessibility expert, improve its systems, and train staff on accommodating workers with disabilities.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), workers have the right to reasonable accommodations that help them do their jobs, unless it would cause significant difficulty or expense for the employer.

Often, those accommodations are simple and low or no-cost. And they can make all the difference.

If you think you’ve experienced disability discrimination at work, you’re not alone. Learn more about your rights and find help here: https://www.eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination-and-employment-decisions

In 2020, Allied Services discouraged a qualified female applicant from pursuing a garbage truck driver position in Springfield, Missouri, and ultimately opted not to hire her, the suit charged.

The suit says company managers made comments about past experiences with female drivers and raised concerns about accommodations, such as locker room facilities. The applicant was later rejected, and the position was filled by a less-qualified male candidate.

The EEOC further alleged that the company had a pattern of failing to hire qualified female applicants for driver roles. This type of conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits s*x discrimination in employment.

Hiring decisions must be based on qualifications, not s*x. This helps ensure equal employment opportunities for all workers.

Learn more: https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/republic-services-pay-200000-eeoc-s*x-discrimination-lawsuit