In 2020, retaliation claims constituted the most frequently filed charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to data recently released by the EEOC, retaliation complaints comprised 55.8% of all charges filed. According to the EEOC data, disability charges were the second most frequent, comprising 36.1% of charges, followed by race (32.7%), sex (31.7%), and age (21%). National origin, color, religion, Equal Pay Act, and genetic information were less frequently filed charges of discrimination. Claimants generally alleged discrimination on multiple bases, which is why the total of the reported causes far exceeds 100%.
In fiscal year 2020, the EEOC reported that it secured $439.2 Million in monetary benefits for employees who were victims of discrimination. According to EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows, “the current pandemic is not only a public health crisis and economic crisis—it’s also a civil rights crisis.” To read the EEOC’s full press release, please visit: https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-releases-fiscal-year-2020-enforcement-and-litigation-data.