Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlaws discrimination against a job seeker or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity) or national origin.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was created by the Act and opened its doors in 1965 to prevent and remedy unlawful employment discrimination and advance equal employment opportunity for all. The Act, strengthened over time by amendments, also paved the way and provided a model for other civil rights laws. Over the next 60 years, Congress authorized the EEOC to enforce 9 key federal laws to protect working people from discrimination on the job.
When Title VII was enacted, airlines subjected female flight attendants to discriminatory requirements around weight, pregnancy, marriage, and other issues. After one of its very first investigations, the EEOC found that an airline’s policy of firing only female flight attendants once they married was sex discrimination in violation of Title VII. Through this and other efforts, Title VII led to changes in that industry and others allowing women to be judged on their abilities, opening the doors of opportunity.
In 2023, EEOC resolved a Title VII race harassment and retaliation lawsuit it brought against the construction firm The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company for $1.2 million and obtained important changes to employment practices. The EEOC found that Whiting-Turner subjected Black employees to a racially hostile work environment, including use of racial epithets, offensive graffiti, and display of a noose.
The EEOC, understanding that other federal agencies also have a role addressing harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in the construction industry, has begun a comprehensive effort to partner with these agencies to address those problems, and in 2024 issued a resource on promising practices for preventing harassment in the construction industry.
In 1997, Publix Super Markets agreed to pay $81.5 million to resolve an EEOC lawsuit alleging discrimination against women in job assignments and promotions in violation of Title VII. The settlement provided back pay to current and former female employees in four southern states, as well as future promotional opportunities for women.
In 2024, the EEOC released aggregate data it collected regarding women’s pay showing that still women are typically paid less than men.
In 2018, the EEOC settled a class religious discrimination suit for $4.9 million against United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS). The EEOC required UPS to change its discriminatory policy that men in a number of positions could not wear beards or grow their hair below collar length and to provide religious accommodations to that policy which operated to exclude Muslims, Sikhs, Rastafarians, and other religious groups from employment opportunities.
In response to global events leading to an increase in hate against certain religious, national origin, and racial groups, the EEOC has conducted outreach, education, and training, including issuing a fact sheet, to ensure workers know their rights and employers their responsibilities under Title VII’s protections against religious and other discrimination.
8,854
ABOUT 59% RACE, 37% SEX, 2% NATIONAL ORIGIN, 2% RELIGION, 0% COLOR
56,650
ABOUT 48.5% RACE, 45% SEX, 12% NATIONAL ORIGIN, 10%, COLOR, 7.6% RELIGION
At first, the EEOC could only enforce Title VII by receiving charges, conducting investigations, engaging in conciliations, and issuing legal determinations. Now, the EEOC also protects federal government employees, files suits in federal court to hold private employers accountable, and more.
The EEOC’s work continues to help ensure that America’s workplaces reflect our shared values of fairness and equal opportunity.
