• The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces federal legislation that makes it illegal to discriminate against an employee or job applicant on the grounds of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or genetic information. The laws apply to most work situations including recruitment, promotion, salary and training. The EEOC is based in Washington D.C. and has 53 field offices throughout the nation.
  
  

Investigative Duties

• EEOC investigators examine potential violations of any equal opportunity laws that are brought to their attention. If an employee or job applicant files a Charge of Discrimination, the EEOC must investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged discrimination. An investigator may conduct interviews, examine paperwork or consider electronic data. If an employer refuses to co-operate with an EEOC investigation, an EEOC investigator can issue a subpoena to obtain documents or access facilities.
  
  

Mediation Duties

• The EEOC may offer to mediate in any dispute between employer and employee. Mediation is an informal method of resolving a dispute that avoids costly and lengthy lawsuits. It aims to assist the parties in resolving the issues in a non-confrontational manner. The EEOC offers mediation to parties after the Charge of Discrimination has been filed, usually prior to investigation. Mediation is not compulsory, but the EEOC is keen to offer it as an option.
  
  

Enforcement Duties

• If the EEOC finds that an employer has violated the law, and if mediation has not achieved a satisfactory solution, it may file a lawsuit against the employer. Whether or not the EEOC decides to file a lawsuit depends on a number of factors, including the seriousness of the violation, the legal issues and the potential wider impact of the lawsuit. If the EEOC decides not to file a lawsuit, the individual or individuals affected are free to do so.
  
  

Promotion of Equal Opportunities

• The EEOC has a duty to promote equal opportunities in the workplace and as such it has a number of initiatives with this aim. As an example, the E-RACE initiative is designed to combat race and color discrimination. The EEOC must examine issues, criteria and barriers that contribute to such discrimination and explore strategies to improve the situation. The EEOC's LEAD initiative (Leadership for the Employment of Americans with Disabilities) aims to combat the declining numbers of disabled employees in the workplace. As part of the initiative, the EEOC endeavors to encourage federal agencies to hire individuals with severe disabilities.