Business Harmony Consultants

07/17/2022

EEOC ISSUES REPORT ON WOMEN IN STEM JOBS IN THE FEDERAL SECTOR

Results Show Women Accounted for 29.3% of STEM Federal Workers



WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued a report on the participation and experiences of women who work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) within the federal government. Although there has been a great deal of focus on women in STEM in the private sector, little has been reported on the diversity and experiences of women working in STEM in the federal sector. The main findings from the report include:



Overall, women accounted for 29.3% of STEM federal workers. Science occupations had the most (49,546), while math occupations in the federal sector had the fewest number of women (6,469).


A total of 16,454 women served in leadership roles, compared to 47,167 men. Only 25.9% of all STEM leaders were women.


The overall average age of women in STEM occupations in the federal sector was 45.5 years, compared to an average age of 47.4 years for men.


Most of the women working in STEM in the federal sector were White (66.02%). By comparison, 14.58% were African American or Black, 9.76% Asian, 6.42% Hispanic or Latina, 0.97% American Indian/Alaska Native, and 0.28% Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.


Approximately 10.7% of women working in STEM were individuals with disabilities.


In FY 2019, there were 34,483 women counseled and 14,096 female federal employees who decided to file formal complaints.


Despite the popular belief that s*xual harassment is the foremost type of discrimination raised by women, generalized harassment was a larger issue in FY 2019—with 1,986 complaints filed, compared to 358 complaints for s*xual harassment.


There was a strong relationship between women’s intentions to leave their current agency and complaint activity; the more s*x-related complaint activity, the more likely women were to state an intention to leave.


Women’s belief that their supervisors were committed to a diverse workforce was significantly related to fewer numbers of individuals receiving counseling and to fewer formal complainants.


After taking pay into account, women were about 40% less likely to work in engineering, 33% more likely to work in math, and nearly 92% more likely to work in science than in technology jobs.


“There were significantly fewer women in technology and engineering than we expected. Clearly, the federal government shares the same challenges as the private sector in improving representation of women in STEM occupations,” said Director Carlton Hadden of the EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations. “We hope this report helps federal agencies better understand the challenges facing women in STEM so they can continue to foster an even more welcoming and diverse work environment.”



The EEOC gathered and analyzed information from numerous federal sources, including: (1) OPM’s Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) data; (2) EEOC Form 462 (EEO complaint) data; and (3) select OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) responses. The EEOC combined the data to form several datasets, which researchers then analyzed to learn about these employees.

06/18/2019

Alaska Gold Mine to Pay $690,000 to Settle EEOC S*x Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit
Gold Mine Refused to Promote Female Miner Then Retaliated When She Complained, Federal Agency Charged

FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Alaska-based Northern Star (Pogo) LLC, formerly known as Sumitomo Metal Mining Pogo, LLC, will pay $690,000 and make substantial changes to settle a s*x discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC's suit, Hanna Hurst, one of a few women underground miners to work at Pogo under former Sumitomo Metal Mining Pogo ownership, was denied promotions while male colleagues with less seniority or training were promoted. When Hurst complained of the unfair treatment, Pogo retaliated against her by imposing additional training requirements, while allowing male miners to advance without meeting the same requirements.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits denying promotions based on s*x. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska [Case No. 4:18-cv-00034-JWS] after an investigation by EEOC Investigator Bryne Moore and after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its voluntary conciliation process. Hurst was independently represented by the non-profit Equal Rights Advocates.

The three-year consent decree settling the lawsuit provides $690,000 to Hurst in lost wages and compensatory damages. The decree also requires Pogo to hire an independent expert to evaluate, develop and implement policies, procedures, and trainings to ensure equal employment and enhance accountability and oversight of managers, supervisors and trainers. With that outside expert's help, the mining company will provide anti-discrimination training to all leadership and employees; make available its EEO policy to all employees and applicants; report to the EEOC all complaints of s*x or gender discrimination or retaliation it receives from its employees for the next three years; and post a notice for employees about the consent decree and employees' rights under federal law.

"Speaking out against s*x discrimination at work is hard, but I am really glad I did," said Hurst. "It's been a long time coming, but I am hopeful this settlement will help to make the mine a fair workplace for everyone and more open to women. I am thankful to the EEOC and my attorneys at Equal Rights Advocates for standing by me and seeing this through."

EEOC Senior Trial Attorney May Che said, "Hanna Hurst worked hard to prove her abilities in this challenging industry. She did everything required of her and more. Yet, she was repeatedly passed over for promotion while she watched her male colleagues with less training and seniority rise through the ranks." Che added, "During Hanna's employment, Pogo had a discretionary promotion policy applied by male supervisors, who repeatedly showed overt hostility and s*xist attitudes toward women at the mine, which ensured that no woman made it to the top-level mining positions."

"Gender bias continues to be a problem in today's workplace, certainly no less in those industries traditionally dominated by men." said EEOC Seattle Field Director Nancy Sienko. "We commend Northern Star as the new successor company for demonstrating its commitment to see such discrimination doesn't continue under its leadership."

According to its website, https://www.nsrltd.com/our-assets/pogo/, Pogo is an underground gold mine operation in remote Alaska and currently employs over 320 employees. Pogo is owned and operated by Northern Star (Alaska) LLC following the acquisition of Sumitomo Metal Mining Pogo, LLC on September 28, 2018.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.

04/09/2019

The misstep is potentially damaging given Burger King’s big growth plans in Asia

04/09/2019

Hate your job? If you work at IBM or a company equipped with their artificially intelligent employee retention software, your planned two-week's notice may already be old news.

03/05/2019

In essence, traits in a person’s appearance that are tied to their culture but are otherwise changeable are not protected and can be used to deny job offers.

A U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that denying potential black employees for wearing dreadlocks does not legally constitute discrimination.

02/27/2019

U.S. Seventh Circuit
Court: Less Than 'Hellish' Workplace Still Hostile Environment
By William Vogeler, Esq. on February 25, 2019

A man didn't have to show his work was "hellish" to sue for a hostile work environment, a federal appeals court said.

In Gates v. Board of Education of the City of Chicago, a black building engineer said his workplace was hostile because a supervisor threatened him racially and called him the "N" word.

It's one thing when a co-worker says something like that, the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals said, but it's a discrimination lawsuit when a supervisor says it.

"Into the Inferno"

Fred Gates was working for the Chicago Board of Education, when he took a leave of absence because he felt harassed. He said Rafael Rivera, a facilities manager, called him the "N" word and threatened to discipline his "black ass."

He filed a racial discrimination complaint under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, but the trial court dismissed it. The judge said Gates didn't show the alleged abuse was "hellish."

On appeal, the Seventh Circuit reversed and said it was enough that a jury could decide whether it was severe or pervasive.

"While a 'hellish' workplace is surely actionable, plaintiff's evidence need not show a descent into the Inferno," Judge David F. Hamilton wrote for the appeals panel.

Three Racial Slurs

Rivera allegedly used the racial slurs three times over a period of six months. The appeals court said it probably would not have been actionable if a co-worker had said it.

But, the appeals panel said, a jury could find it was severe and humiliating for a supervisor to use such "toxic language."

02/26/2019

Are You Affected by an EEOC Lawsuit or Settlement?
The EEOC currently has a number of on-going lawsuits and settlements of lawsuits. We are looking for people who may have been affected by the unlawful discrimination alleged in these suits. Please read the list below for the name of the company, the type of discrimination, and the basis of the action, and follow the link for each case to learn more.
United Parcel Service - settlement
Discriminating against current and former applicants and employees whose religious beliefs or practices conflict with UPS's Appearance Policy.
Bass Pro - settlement
Failure to hire African-Americans and Hispanics/Latinos.
EEOC v. Lowe's Home Centers, Inc., or Lowe's HIW - settlement
Termination for exceeding the maximum amount of leave available.
Federal Express Ground Package System, Inc. - litigation
Discrimination against current and former deaf and hard-of-hearing Package Handlers and applicants for the Package Handler position.
ASL interpreted (ASL video available.)
Performance Food Group - litigation
Failure to hire women at their Broadline distribution facilities.
USPS - settlement, federal sector employees only
Disability discrimination against employees in permanent rehabilitation positions.

02/24/2019

The city of Jacksonville Agrees to Pay $4.9 Million to Settle Class Race Discrimination Lawsuit
Union Negotiated in Favor of Discriminatory Promotional Examinations, Federal Agency Charged

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that it has resolved its race discrimination lawsuit against the Jacksonville Association of Fire Fighters, Local 122, IAFF. The EEOC's lawsuit against the union was a companion case to the lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against the City of Jacksonville (Case No.3-12-cv-451-J-32MCR), which alleged that the city's promotional practices for various positions in the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964's prohibition against race discrimination.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, filed April 30, 2012, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida (EEOC v. Jacksonville Association of Firefighters, Local 122, IAFF, 3:12-cv-491-J-32MCR), the union advocated for an unlawful promotional process that had a disparate impact on African-American promotional candi­dates. The EEOC said the union continued doing so after receiving an EEOC Commissioner's discrimination charge against the union in February 2008, and after the city's Human Rights Commission issued a report on Aug. 8, 2006, recommending changes to the JFRD promotional process.

The consent decree entered by the court resolves the claims of the DOJ and EEOC, as well as claims brought against the city and/or union by private plaintiffs the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Jacksonville Branch, and the Jacksonville Brotherhood of Firefighters. Through the decree approved by the court on Feb. 5, 2019, the city agreed that it would develop a new promotional examination for the selection of certain positions in the Fire and Rescue Department. In addition, the city will offer up to 40 settlement promotion positions for qualified African-Americans and will establish a $4.9 million settlement fund for eligible promotion candidates.

"We are pleased that the union has agreed with the city's decision to make changes to the pro­motional process and provide relief to eligible African-American promotion candidates," said EEOC District Director Michael Farrell. "The EEOC will continue to identify and fight promotional processes that operate as systemic barriers to employment based on legally protected characteristics."

The EEOC's Miami District Office is comprised of the Miami, Tampa and San Juan EEOC offices, and has jurisdiction over Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

02/24/2019

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02/24/2019

EEOC Sues American Freight Furniture and Mattress for Systemic S*x-Based Discrimination in Hiring
Federal Agency Charges National Furniture Retailer Refused to Hire Female Applicants

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - American Freight Management Company, LLC d/b/a American Freight Furniture and Mattress violated federal anti-discrimination laws by engaging in systemic discrimination against female applicants, according to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today. The lawsuit charges that American Freight refused to hire or even consider a class of female applicants for employment because of their s*x.

American Freight, headquartered in Delaware, Ohio, operates a nationwide chain of warehouse-style discount furniture stores specializing in furniture obtained through factory closeouts, dealer cancellations, retail chain buyouts, and wholesale liquidations. The company has over 150 stores located throughout the United States.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, since at least January 1, 2013, American Freight has engaged in a nationwide pattern or practice of discrimination against women, intentionally excluding qualified female applicants from sales and warehouse jobs because of their s*x. Corporate managers instructed store managers not to hire women because women "complain and make trouble." Store employees also heard store managers say that women: "bitch too much;" are too much of "a distraction" to the male employees; cannot work in the warehouse because "women can't lift," and do not "do as great a job at selling furniture as men," according to the suit.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed its lawsuit (EEOC v. American Freight Management Company, LLC d/b/a American Freight Furniture and Mattress, Case No. 2:10-cv-00273) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division, in Birmingham after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The agency seeks monetary relief, including back pay and compensatory and punitive damages, for the class of female applicants denied employment opportunities due to the company's discriminatory policies and practices. The suit also seeks injunctive relief to prevent future s*x-based discrimination, including an order that American Freight is required to institute policies, practices, and procedures that conform to the requirements of federal law.

"Refusing to hire or even consider an applicant because of her s*x deprives people of equal opportunities within the workplace, and the EEOC is committed to stopping this sort of illegal conduct," said Bradley Anderson, district director of the EEOC's Birmingham District Office.

"All job applicants deserve to be evaluated based on their qualifications, without regard to s*x," said Marsha Rucker, regional attorney of the EEOC's Birmingham District Office.

Eliminating barriers in recruitment and hiring, including exclusionary policies and practices that discriminate against women, is one of the national priorities identified by the EEOC's Strategic Enforcement Plan.

The EEOC's Birmingham District Office is responsible for processing discrimination charges, administrative enforcement, and the conduct of agency litigation in Alabama, Mississippi (except 17 northern counties) and the Florida Panhandle.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.

Any female who applied for, and was denied, employment with American Freight after January 1, 2013, and/or witnessed or otherwise may have information related to s*x-based discrimination in hiring at American Freight stores should contact the EEOC at [email protected].

02/06/2019

New Jersey will become the second state, after California, to require schools to adopt an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum.

12/23/2018

FRESNO, Calif. - Family HealthCare Network will pay $1.75 million and furnish other relief to settle a systemic disability and pregnancy discrimination suit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today. The Visalia, Calif.-based health care company operates over 20 health care sites in Tulare, Kings and Fresno Counties.

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