EEOC ISSUES NEW COMPLIANCE MANUAL SECTION ON 'THRESHOLD' ISSUES FOR ADDRESSING BIAS COMPLAINTS

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today   released a new section to its Compliance Manual on "threshold" issues, the factors   considered by the Commission in determining who can pursue a legal claim of   employment discrimination.

"This new Compliance Manual section will be extremely helpful not only to agency   staff, but also to employers, workers, and their representatives," said EEOC   Chairwoman Ida L. Castro. "It contains a wealth of accessible information on   a broad range of important questions regarding what claims can be brought under   the anti-discrimination laws."

Charging parties alleging workplace discrimination must satisfy certain "threshold"   requirements before a substantive bias claim can be addressed by the Commission.   Such issues include, for example, who can be bring a charge of discrimination,   the time frame under which to file a charge, whom a charge can be brought against,   and what is covered by the civil rights laws.

The new section replaces former Section 605: Jurisdiction in the Compliance   Manual. It also replaces nine other Commission policy guidances.

"The issuance of this section is a significant step in our ongoing efforts   to update and streamline EEOC guidance in order to enhance customer service,"   Chairwoman Castro added. "The Commission will continue to make public information   material available in a plain-language, more user-friendly, format for laypersons   and lawyers alike."

The full text of the new section, as well as other information about the Commission,   is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.

The EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits   employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin;   the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which protects workers 40 and older;   the Equal Pay Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination   against qualified individuals with disabilities in the private sector and state   and local governments; prohibitions against discrimination affecting persons   with disabilities in the federal government; and sections of the Civil Rights   Act of 1991.