The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is stepping up its efforts to prevent employers from engaging in job discrimination. The government agency has issued a fact sheet on the application of federal anti-discrimination laws to employer tests and other screening procedures used to select applicants for hire and promotion.
The document is available online at www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/factemployment_procedures.html.
Charges of job discrimination related to employee testing and filed with the EEOC have trended upward from 26 in fiscal 2003 to 141 in fiscal 2006. The EEOC notes that employee testing has increased in the post 9-11 era, fostered also by significant adoption of online job applications.
What can you expect to find on the fact sheet? The EEOC provides background on the laws pertaining to job discrimination and outlines a variety of screening procedures. Toward the bottom, the agency identifies recent litigation and settlements related to the topic, rounding out the document with best practices for employers to follow.
