The Importance of the EEOC

Some people think that they were treated wrongly in their workplace. They think they were denied a promotion due to their age, were harassed because of your religion, or they got fired because of their race. If a person believes that he or she has been discriminated against by an employer when applying for a job or while on the job because of the way they looked, race, sex, religion, nationality, age or disability, than he or she may file a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In some cases, employees vouch for each other when the other has been discriminated against. They consider being a witness for someone else at their workplace in order to help that person file a complaint against the employer. Often, it is very hard for a witness to come forward and support a colleague. The witness may feel that they want to ignore the problems and hope it goes away all by itself, in fear of losing their job.

Sonny Cornelius, official portrait from .

English: William H. Brown, chairman of EEOC

John H Powell Jr, chairman of EEOC

They may feel uncomfortable confronting the issue because they do not want to get involved. However, by ignoring the situation, it will create a damaging environment for everyone at the workplace. The witness should take steps to help the colleague to seek advice about where to go, who to contact and what to do.

Employees are often scared to file a claim because of financial matters or they just simply don't know where to file. They do not know if they will win or lose their claim. When an employee files a complaint with the EEOC, the employer will be notified of the claim within ten days. What most employees do not know is that they are protected under the antiretaliation provisions. The antiretaliation provisions are, "provisions making it illegal...