EEOC RELEASES FISCAL 2004 YEAR-END DATA

                   

Highlights Include Record Monetary Relief, Expanded Mediation and Outreach

                                     

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today released its fiscal year 2004 enforcement statistics showing that the agency recovered a record $420 million in relief last year for thousands of people filing charges of employment discrimination, while also expanding its mediation program and efforts to proactively prevent discrimination through outreach, education, and technical assistance.

       

"Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our hardworking employees, we continue to make progress in fulfilling our mission of eradicating employment discrimination," said EEOC Chair Cari M. Dominguez.  "Nevertheless, as our latest enforcement data show, much work remains to attain the promise of equal employment opportunity for all."

   

Data on charge filings with EEOC and agency litigation for FY 2004 and prior years  including resolutions by type and monetary benefits  are available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov. Highlights of the last fiscal year, covering October 2003 through September 2004, include:

         
• Outreach - EEOC conducted 5,340 headquarters and field office                   educational, training and outreach events (a record), reaching more than 350,000 people,                   and there were 651 no-cost outreach events directed toward small businesses.  In addition                   to agency-enforced laws, national outreach focused on the Freedom to Compete campaign, New           Freedom Initiative workshops for small employers, and the launch of the Youth@Work           Initiative. The number of visitors to EEOC's public web site in FY 2004 was more than           four million (on average, 350,000 visitors per month).
       
• Charge Filings - EEOC received 79,432 charges of discrimination                   against private sector employers and state/local government entities.  Race, sex and                   retaliation were the most frequently alleged bases of discrimination.  The data show                   that most types of discrimination held steady as a percentage of EEOC's total caseload.                    The average charge processing time was 165 days and the pending inventory of charges was                   29,966. EEOC resolved 85,259 charges, of which 19.5% were merit resolutions (with favorable           outcomes for the charging party).
                 
• Mediation - EEOC achieved a record 8,086 successful                   resolutions through the agency's voluntary National Mediation Program resulting                   in $112 million in monetary benefits  in addition to non-monetary benefits, such as                   changes in employer policies and reasonable accommodations for employees.  The average           resolution time for a charge in mediation was 82 days.  EEOC also continued to           expand the number of Universal Agreements to Mediate (UAMs) with employers           at the national, regional and local levels (including several Fortune 500           companies).  During FY 2004, EEOC entered into 637 local UAMs at the district           office level, while the number of national UAMs with large employers grew to           more than 70.
                                         
• Litigation - EEOC filed 378 merits lawsuits (direct suits,                   interventions and conciliation enforcement actions), including 143 cases involving                   multiple aggrieved parties or victims of discriminatory policies.  The agency resolved                   347 merits suits, including 33 cases involving multiple aggrieved parties or victims of                   discriminatory policies.  In addition to monetary benefits, the agency obtained significant           injunctive relief  including training, policy changes, posting on notices, and other           measures.
     
• Monetary Relief - EEOC recovered more than $251 million through               pre-litigation resolutions (conciliation, mediation and other administrative settlements),                   and $168 million through agency lawsuits filed in federal district court for a           combined total of $420 million, the most monetary benefits ever obtained by           EEOC in a single year.
     
• Model Workplace - EEOC made strides in its effort to become a model           workplace and achieve organizational excellence. Last year, comprehensive           training was provided to about two-thirds of agency managers through EEOC's           Management Development Institute, which brings together managers and           supervisors to hone their leadership skills.  FY 2004 was also the first full year of           the agency's successful RESOLVE program  a one-stop, informal program for           settling all types of internal workplace disputes in an average time of 72 days with           a high level of participant satisfaction.

   

The Commission's work and accomplishments, as highlighted above, follow the Chair's Five-Point Plan, aimed at enhancing the agency's operational efficiency and effectiveness while improving customer service.  The elements of the Five-Point Plan are: 1) Proactive Prevention; 2) Proficient Resolution; 3) Expanded Mediation; 4) Strategic Enforcement and Litigation; and 5) EEOC as a Model Workplace. 

                                       

EEOC is the federal government agency that enforces that nation's laws prohibiting discrimination in employment based on race, color, sex (including sexual harassment and pregnancy), religion, national origin, age, disability, retaliation, and equal pay.  Further information about the Commission, including charge data from prior years, is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.