EEOC TO PRESENT ‘FREEDOM TO COMPETE AWARD’ HONORING BEST PRACTICES IN EMPLOYMENT

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.