March isn’t just for basketball—it’s also a great time to test your knowledge of workplace discrimination trends. The EEOC charge filing statistics for 2024 reveal critical insights about the most common workplace discrimination claims. Can you guess the top charge? Fill out the bracket below and see if your predictions match the latest EEOC data.
How to Find Results
The full FY 2024 EEOC enforcement and litigation statistics are available on the EEOC’s website. Employers and HR professionals can explore the complete report for insights into workplace discrimination trends.
FY 2023 EEOC Annual Performance Report
On March 11, 2024, the EEOC released its report on the agency’s performance during fiscal year 2024, covering Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024, and the Office of General Counsel (OGC) annual report for the same time period.
Of note, the EEOC received 88,531 new discrimination charges, an increase of 9.2% compared to FY 2023. The EEOC also made 248,255 inquiries in field offices, a 6.2% increase from FY 2023. The Commission received 553,000 calls to the agency contact center (an almost 6% increase from FY 2023) and 90,000 emails (an increase of almost 5% compared to FY 2023).
The EEOC’s report also highlighted the following EEOC litigation activity for FY 2024:
- 111 merits suits filed by the EEOC: This number includes 110 employment discrimination lawsuits and one lawsuit challenging the breach of a conciliation agreement. This number also includes the agency’s first five lawsuits filed under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
- 132 merits lawsuits resolved by the EEOC: This is an increase of more than 33% over FY 2023, for a total monetary recovery of over $40 million for 4,304 individuals.
- 16 systemic cases resolved by the EEOC: Through these resolutions, the EEOC obtained just over $23.9 million in compensation, a $12.2 million increase over FY 2023, for 4,074 victims of systemic discrimination. The Agency also obtained significant equitable relief.
- 97% of all district court resolutions obtained by the EEOC achieved a “favorable result.”
The EEOC’s current priorities
It is also important for employers to understand the evolving landscape of EEOC guidelines, particularly the issues highlighted by recent initiatives and priorities for the upcoming years. President Trump appointed Andrea Lucas as Acting Chair of the EEOC. Lucas has outlined her priorities for the agency to include the following:
- Root out unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination
- Protect American workers from anti-American national origin discrimination
- Defend the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights, including women’s rights to single‑sex spaces at work
- Protect workers from religious bias and harassment, including antisemitism, and
- Remedy other areas of recent under-enforcement.
Employer takeaways
As the EEOC continues to enforce workplace discrimination laws and adapt to evolving priorities, employers should stay proactive in fostering compliant work environments. Understanding charge trends and litigation activity can help organizations refine their policies and training efforts to mitigate risks and ensure fair treatment for all employees. In light of the increase in charge filings, now is a good time for employers to review, revise, and implement sound personnel policies, and conduct management training on the company’s anti-discrimination, harassment and retaliation policies.
As always, Berman Fink Van Horn can help. Please contact Ken Winkler or Emma Sammons for additional guidance.