Top 10 Workplace Discrimination Claims

In 2017, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) resolved more than 99,109 workplace discrimination claims—securing more than $398 million from employers in the private and public sectors as a result of these claims. Discrimination lawsuits can be very time-consuming and expensive for employers, and can result in a loss of employee morale or reputation within the community.

Top Causes of Discrimination Claims

According to the EEOC, the following are the top 10 reasons for workplace discrimination claims in fiscal year 2017:

• Retaliation—41,097 (48.8 percent of all charges filed) 
• Race—28,528 (33.9 percent) 
• Disability—26,838 (31.9 percent) 
• Sex—25,605 (30.4 percent) 
• Age—18,376 (21.8 percent) 
• National origin—8,299 (9.8 percent) 
• Religion—3,436 (4.1 percent) 
• Color—3,240 (3.8 percent) 
• Equal Pay Act—996 (1.2 percent) 
• Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act—206 (0.2 percent)