Workplace discrimination complaints rose to a record level in the United States last year.
According to the Associated Press, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says it received about 100,000 charges of discrimination during the 2011 fiscal year. This is the highest number of charges the commission has received in its 46-year history.
The majority of discrimination complaints received by the EEOC somehow involved an individual’s national origin and religion. Similarly, the largest increase of all the categories was among religious discrimination charges, which increased by 9.5 percent. Discrimination based on nationality rose by 5 percent. Other complaints that were filed often were based on sex, race, and retaliation.
Some experts theorized that this increase in discrimination complaints could be connected in part to the growing diversity of the U.S. workforce.
If you or someone you know has experienced workplace discrimination, contact Sokolove Law to find out if you have grounds to pursue legal action.