Social & labour
Equal Employment Opportunity
The legal principle and US framework prohibiting workplace discrimination based on protected characteristics.
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Equal Employment Opportunity is the principle, codified in US law by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that employment decisions must not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin (later extended to age, disability, pregnancy and other grounds). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), established under Title VII and given litigation authority by the EEO Act of 1972, enforces these laws.
References
legal basis, protected classes, 1972 Act, McDonnell Douglas framework
Overview
What it means
EEO prohibits both intentional discrimination (disparate treatment, with the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework) and practices with unjustified disparate impact. It anchors affirmative-action debates and employer reporting duties, and supplies much of the legal vocabulary for workplace equity.
How it is used
Used in HR compliance, discrimination litigation, federal-contractor obligations and workforce disclosure on diversity.
Why it matters
EEO law is the foundation of formal workplace equality in the US and a reference point for global DEI practice.
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