EEOC HOLDS 'YOUTH@WORK' EVENTS IN VIRGINIA AND ARIZONA AS INITIATIVE MOVES FORWARD NATIONWIDE

Agency Reaches Out to High Schools to Educate Teens About Employment Rights

WASHINGTON -  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today visited local high schools in the Mid-Atlantic and the Southwest, as part of the federal agency's "Youth@Work" initiative  an unprecedented year-long national outreach and education campaign to raise awareness about and proactively prevent discrimination against teenage workers.

EEOC Commissioner Leslie E. Silverman met with students at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, while staff of the agency's Phoenix District Office visited Cholla High School in Tucson, Arizona.  Interactive presentations were made to the students about how the federal laws  enforced by the Commission apply to young workers and what steps teens should take if they are subjected to or witness discriminatory conduct on the job.  EEOC's new Youth@Work web site was also featured and students received brochures and related information materials.

"Young workers are an important segment of the U.S. labor force, but unfortunately they are particularly vulnerable to discrimination and harassment," said Commissioner Silverman, who also recently spoke about the Youth@Work initiative at Marquette University in Wisconsin.  "It is vital for teenage employees as well as employers to be knowledgeable about their respective rights and responsibilities to ensure that healthy workplaces are the norm."

The three main components of the EEOC's Youth@Work initiative, now in its third week of implementation, are: 1) a new youth web site at  http://youth.eeoc.gov, dedicated to educating young workers about their equal employment opportunity rights and responsibilities; 2) a series of national outreach events by EEOC Commissioners and field office staff for high school students, youth organizations, and small businesses who employ young workers; and 3) partnerships with business leaders, human resource groups, and industry trade associations.  Prior Youth@Work events have been held at high schools in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Minnesota.  Upcoming events are being planned in San Francisco, New York, and St. Louis later this month.

Further information about the EEOC is available online at www.eeoc.gov.