Partner Margo Wolf O'Donnell, Co-Chair of Benesch's Labor & Employment Practice Group and Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, was featured in a Law360 article discussing the EEOC's ongoing efforts to protect workers based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
In 2024, the EEOC filed 110 merit-based suits for violations of anti-discrimination laws, with seven of these cases alleging sex-based discrimination against LGBTQ+ employees. While the number of cases remains small, these actions underscore the EEOC's commitment to fighting bias.
"The EEOC has indicated that it's going to be protecting vulnerable workers, and I think that LGBTQ+ employees fall into that category," O'Donnell said. "I think that these lawsuits do reflect a heightened awareness of the fact that harassment can occur based on that characteristic, and that employers need to make sure that their managers and employees are trained on these issues."
Read the full article here.