The EEOC says a higher percentage of those cases had merit.  Last year, a full 22.2 percent of employee complaints resulted in a finding that the employer had violated the law.  That’s the highest-ever percentage of “merit” findings by the agency and shows that employers continue to make serious mistakes when it comes to complying with the nation’s anti-discrimination laws.

Here’s a breakdown on the specific types of complaints:  (Note that the total exceeds 75,768 because employees often allege more than one type of discrimination in their complaints.)

All charge categories edged up from FY 2005, with the exception of age and equal pay.

Additionally, 12,025 sexual harassment charges and a record 4,901 pregnancy discrimination charges were filed with the EEOC and with state and local Fair Employment Practices Agencies combined.  A record 15 percent of sexual harassment charges were filed by men.

The FY 2006 data also show that the EEOC: Recovered a total of approximately $274 million in monetary relief for charging parties: $44 million through litigation and $230 million through administrative enforcement, including mediation.  Additionally, the agency obtained substantial non-monetary relief, such as employer training, policy implementation, reasonable accommodations, and other measures to promote discrimination-free workplaces.