In fiscal year 2024, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) received 88,531 charges of discrimination, up 9.2% from the previous year.  The EEOC recovered almost $700M for over 21,000 employees and applicants, an increase of 5% from FY 2023 and the largest amount in recent history.

The EEOC can choose to file lawsuits on behalf of individuals for violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (“GINA”), Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”), and Equal Pay Act (“EPA”).

In FY 2024, the EEOC filed 110 employment discrimination lawsuits on behalf of employees and applicants, approximately 69% of which were on behalf of individuals, 20% of which were non-systemic suits with multiple alleged victims, and 12% of which were “systemic” (meaning, “pattern or practice, policy and/or class cases where the discrimination has a broad impact on an industry, profession, company or geographic location”).  The lawsuits alleged discrimination based on:

  • Pregnancy (52)
  • Disability (48)
  • Retaliation (43)
  • Race (15)
  • Age (7)
  • National origin (6)
  • Religion (3)

And the most common issues in the lawsuits were:

  • Termination, including constructive discharge (85)
  • Harassment (39)
  • Reasonable accommodation (33)
  • Hiring, including referrals, recalls, and assignments (21)

What this means to you:

Even with the change in the U.S.’s Administration, employees have multiple avenues in which to pursue discrimination claims.  These claims take employers’ time and money, and can have an adverse effect on employee morale and the employer’s reputation.  

To help prevent discrimination claims, make sure your managers understand their obligations as managers and the company’s obligations as an employer with respect to hiring, firing, and all aspects of the employment relationship that are in between. To learn how our Managing Within the Law and other programs can help, or to book a workshop, please call 800-458-2778 or send us an email.

Updated 02-03-2025

Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.