EEOC Reveals 2020 Litigation Data Showing $439.2 Million Secured Benefits for Victims of Employment Discrimination

March 2, 2021

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released the numbers covering the 67,448 incidents of workplace discrimination in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020.

The agency was able to secure $439.2 million for victims of discrimination in FY 2020. You can view the specific breakdowns here.

In FY 2020, the EEOC resolved 70,804 charges and responded to more than 470,000 calls to its toll-free hotline, which shows how in demand the public is for EEOC’s services.

Retaliation remained the most frequently cited claim for FY 2020, and accounted for 55.8 percent of all charges filed. Disability, race and sex followed as top charges. Below are the most frequently filed charges to the least throughout the U.S. for FY 2020:

1. Retaliation – 37,632 charges filed
2. Disability – 24,324 charges filed
3. Race – 22,064 charges filed
4. Sex – 21,398 charges filed
5. Age – 14,183 charges filed
6. National Origin – 6,377 charges filed
7. Color – 3,562 charges filed
8. Religion – 2,404 charges filed
9. Equal Pay Act – 980 charges filed
10. Genetic Information – 440 charges filed

The EEOC did say that the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting recession has presented many challenges for American workers. The public health crisis and economic crisis has turned into a civil rights crisis which has disproportionately impacted older workers, women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, and other vulnerable workers.

EEOC legal staff recovered more than $106 million for victims in FY 2020, the largest recovery they have made in the past 16 years. They have been successful in 95.8 percent of all their district court resolutions.

The state of Florida saw 5,868 total charges for FY 2020, according to the reports filed by the EEOC. This adds up to 8.7% of the total U.S. charges. Here is the breakdown of cases:

• Race – 1713
• Sex – 1866
• National Origin – 824
• Religion – 206
• Color – 316
• Retaliation – 3556
• Age – 1144
• Disability – 2136
• Equal Pay Act – 34
• GINA (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 prohibits genetic information discrimination in the workplace) – 5

Workplace discrimination and retaliation remain illegal in the workplace, but as you can see from the information above, still happen at an alarming rate. These cases are not always easy to fight, or win for that matter, but in order to obtain full and fair compensation for your suffering, you need the very best team of lawyers fighting in your corner. Our Florida Employment Discrimination Lawyers at Whittel & Melton are leaders in workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. We have a successful track record handling cases involving sexual harassment, unpaid wages and overtime, wrongful termination, FMLA violations, class action suits, retaliation claims, and everything in between. We know how these types of workplace violations can disrupt both your personal and professional life, which is why we fight aggressively for our clients to be able to collect the just compensation they are owed to move forward with their careers and life.

What Can I Expect in a First Meeting With a Florida Employment Discrimination Lawyer at Whittel & Melton?

When you first meet with our Florida Employment Discrimination Lawyers at Whittel & Melton, we will make sure to hear out what is happening to you and then provide you with our feedback on potential legal theories. We do ask that you bring in any relevant documentation you have related to the incidents so that we can fully review your claim. You may be able to bring a claim under more than one employment law, such as you may have a sexual harassment claim as well as a retaliation claim. Whatever claim fits your case, we will help guide you through the legal process and make sure you understand our strategy and what types of damages that can be pursued against your employer.

Before we make the decision to work together, we will also explain how our fees work as we take employment law cases on a contingency fee basis. Your consultation with us is free and we will never charge you anything to review your case.

Contact Us Now for a Free Consultation

Our Florida Employment Discrimination Lawyers at Whittel & Melton have the knowledge and experience needed to protect workers that are experiencing discrimination, harassment, and all other illegal practices in the workplace. If you think you have an employment law violation case or just have questions about your rights as an employee, we urge you to get in touch with us right away by calling 866-608-5529 for a free initial consultation. You can contact us online 24/7.