Despite the lowest number of employment discrimination claims since 2007, 2014 saw the highest percentage of workplace retaliation charges, according to statistics from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

As reported on Law360 (subscription required), the EEOC received 88,778 discrimination charges for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2014. Of that number, retaliation claims accounted for 43% of the claims, continuing run of several years at the top of the agency’s list:

  • Employer Retaliation – 42.8%
  • Racial bias and discrimination – 35%
  • Sexual bias and discrimination – 29.3%
  • Disability-based discrimination – 28.6%
  • Age discrimination – 23.2%
  • Discrimination based on national origin – 10.8%
  • Religious discrimination – 4.0%
  • Discrimination based on skin color – 3.1%
  • Equal Pay Act claims – 1.1%
  • Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act claims – 0.4%

The stated figures exceed 100% because some charges allege discrimination on multiple bases, EEOC representatives explained. In terms of geographic representation, the highest number of charges was filed in Texas (8,035), Florida (7,528) and California (6,363).

Total discrimination claims have declined consistently over the last three years. The EEOC partially attributes the drop in fiscal year 2014 to the government shutdown in Q4 2013.

Similar to the decrease in the number of claims was the amount recovered – $76 million less than the $372.1 million obtained in 2013. Recoveries from litigated cases also dropped to $22.5 million from $39 million in 2013.

As the EEOC figures demonstrate, discrimination and retaliation happens all to frequently and takes many forms. If you’ve been subjected to bias in the workplace, please call the attorneys in Sommers Schwartz’s Employment Litigation Group today – we’re here to help.