Rising Employment Charges
Employers have been hit with hundreds of thousands of employment practices charges over the past few years. Most are charges of discrimination, harassment or wrongful termination. Some are filed in connection with workers' compensation claims.
Charges are rising steeply:
Charge |
Increase YE 2007-YE 2009 |
| Employer retaliation |
26 percent |
| Disability discrimination |
21 percent |
| Age discrimination |
19 percent |
| National origin discrimination |
19 percent |
| Religious discrimination |
18 percent |
| Sex discrimination |
13 percent |
| Race discrimination |
10 percent |
—U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
52 percent of employment charges are against small businesses
According to studies by Jury Verdict Research and others:
- 75 percent are found to be meritless
- 81 percent are resolved through mediation or administrative hearings
- Defense costs typically run $22,400 to $40,500—staggering for many small businesses
- Cases that go to court or settle pre-trial average far more
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