Retaliation charges top EEOC fiscal 2011 filings

WASHINGTON—Retaliation charges filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission increased 3% in its 2011 fiscal year and accounted for the greatest proportion of charges filed, though the total number of charges across all categories remained basically flat, the agency said Wednesday.

There were 36,344 retaliation charges filed in fiscal 2011, which ended Sept. 30, the most frequently filed charge for the second year in a row. Total charges in fiscal 2011 increased slightly to 99,947 from 99,922 in fiscal 2010.

Sex discrimination charges, which were the second-most frequently filed charge, decreased 1.7% in fiscal 2011, to 28,534, and accounted for 28.5% of the total.

These were followed by disability discrimination charges, which increased 2.3%, to 25,742, and accounted for 25.8% of the total; and age discrimination charges, which increased 0.9%, to 23,465, and accounted for 23.5% of the total.

The EEOC’s charge statistics are available at www1.eeoc.govwww1.eeoc.gov.