Next year will mark the 50th anniversary for Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 10964. The federal law has seen changes over the years, including expansions and changes to clarify aspects of the law. Many employment law cases in Georgia rely upon the civil rights law and other laws that have been passed to better protect workers from discrimination in the workplace.

Nearly a half century has passed since laws were placed on the books aimed at elimination workplace discrimination. But followers of this blog recognize that workers are still exposed to harassment and discrimination at work.

Despite long-term efforts to eliminate workplace discrimination in our country, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that nearly 100,000 employment discrimination charges were fielded by the agency during 2012. Retaliation claims led all other complaints last year, which can arise in most any type of discrimination category. Employers cannot lawfully retaliate against a worker who complains of workplace discrimination.

The EEOC says that last year, 37,836 complaints about retaliation were raised. Racial discrimination charges led the remaining categories with 33, 512 race discrimination charges brought in the private sector. Sex discrimination complaints, including sexual harassment charges and pregnancy discrimination issues reached a total number of 30, 356 nationwide during the past fiscal year. The fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 3

Many workers may fear that raising a complaint about a hostile work environment or discriminatory practices is insubordination. Georgia workers should know that raising such complaints is protected by law.

Workers in Georgia who feel that discriminatory practices, or who are suffering from the effects of a sexually hostile workplace can learn more about the laws that are in place to protect workers from such harms. A Fulton County employment law attorney can assess individual facts and provide advice on how to navigate the legal process.

Source: The Observer, "EEOC reports nearly 100,000 job bias charges for FY 2012," Jan. 28, 2013