EEOC Anti-Harassment Litigation, Enforcement Efforts See Dramatic Increase

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) litigation program brought 66 lawsuits alleging workplace harassment (41 alleging sexual harassment) in FY 2018, a more than 50% increase over the prior year, Acting Chair Victoria A. Lipnic announced in a report issued by the agency on October 4, 2018. Charges filed with the agency alleging sexual harassment increased by more than 12% over that same period, and the EEOC found cause to believe unlawful harassment had occurred in nearly 1,200 charges filed, an almost 25% increase over FY 2017. The agency recovered nearly $70 million for victims of sexual harassment, up from $47.5 million in FY 2017.