Author: Hans & Associates, P.C.

“Queens NY Employment Defense Attorneys”

At the end of the September 30, 2011 fiscal year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a press release stating that it handled more employment claims in 2011 than in any other year in its 46-year history. Highlights of the statistical breakdown were:

• A 10 percent decrease in the EEOC’s pending charge inventory, the first such reduction since 2002
• A record set in 2011 for the highest number of discrimination claims ever received — 99,947
• Historic high for relief delivered through administrative enforcement of more than $346 million for workplace discrimination charges
• 5.4 million individuals benefiting through EEOC’s federal and private enforcement programs
• 540,000 individuals directly reached through the EEOC’s public outreach and education programs
• Historic highs reached through EEOC’s private sector mediation programs, obtaining $170 million in monetary benefits for complainants
• Highest number of mediation resolutions ever obtained — 9,831 resolutions, a five percent increase over 2010

Inventory had built up as EEOC staffing declined by 30 percent between the fiscal years 2000 and 2008. Increases in EEOC staffing resources over the past two years allowed the EEOC to obtain these new statistical records. We still wait to see an overview of the EEOC’s fiscal year 2012 statistics.

If you are a restaurant or other business owner, the increased actions on the part of the EEOC should serve as a warning to ensure employment law compliance. We understand that many business owners unwittingly violate laws in an effort to deal with a tight economy. An NYC employment defense lawyer can help you adopt sound employment practices and avoid disputes. Hans & Associates, P.C. works with small and medium-sized business owners throughout New York City to protect their business interests and fight litigation.