Employee Bias Claims, By The Numbers

Who files bias claims, and why?

By Inc. staff | 
 

A team of researchers led by Professor Barry M. Goldman of the University of Arizona recently combed through all the claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for the year 2005 and came up with a clearer picture of who files discrimination claims and why.

  • Ouch! In 2005, more claims were filed over back pain and other orthopedic impairments (2,405) than over religion (2,349) or equal pay (1,044).

  • Worker solidarity: Retaliation claims made up the fastest growing category of claims. They involved a worker who said he or she had been discriminated against for having vouched for a co-worker who previously made a claim.

  • The price tag: From 1992 to 2005, the amount of money employers reported paying to litigate and settle federal discrimination claims more than doubled, to $379.3 million.