EEOC TO PRESENT 'FREEDOM TO COMPETE AWARD' HONORING BEST PRACTICES IN EMPLOYMENT

PRESS RELEASE
9-18-07

WASHINGTON – Naomi C. Earp, Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), will present the third annual "Freedom to Compete Award" recognizing employers and organizations for initiatives that promote fair and open competition in the workplace. Five awards will be presented during a ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 10:30 a.m., EEOC Headquarters, 1801 L Street, N.W.

The awards presentation is part of the EEOC's Freedom to Compete Initiative. The five 2007 award recipients include a leading internationally recognized hospital center, a non-profit health care provider, a major bureau of a Cabinet-level agency, a city government, and a disability advocacy organization.

Launched in 2002, the Freedom to Compete Initiative is a national outreach, education and coalition-building campaign to provide free and unfettered access to employment opportunities for all individuals. The central theme of the initiative is that every individual deserves the opportunity to compete and advance as far as his/her talent and ability allows without regard to discriminatory barriers based on race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age or disability.

As part of the Freedom to Compete campaign, the EEOC has been forging strategic alliances and partnerships with a cross-section of stakeholders to influence positive change in the workplace. Additional information about the Freedom to Compete Initiative can be found on the EEOC's web site at http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/compete/index.html.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available online at www.eeoc.gov.

This page was last modified on September 19, 2007.