COMPLIANCE ALERT: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) is a federal law that prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals based on race, color, religion, national origin or sex.

Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees on each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in a current or prior calendar year. The law also applies to employment agencies and labor organizations.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces Title VII and may file charges and initiate federal court lawsuits against employers that violate the law. In Title VII lawsuits, courts may award compensatory and punitive damages to individuals who are adversely affected by an employer’s violation of the law.