Eeoc Paper

EEOC Paper

Jorel Jackson

SOC/315

October 4, 2011

Jeff Hoover

EEOC Paper

I. Background: Panda Express is part of the largest and fastest growing Asian restaurant company in the United States, the Panda Restaurant Group (PRG). It is designed for people who enjoy the taste of Chinese cuisine and is clearly the growth engine of PRG ( Panda Restaurant Group, nd). In August 2011 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Panda Express for discrimination/national origin bias. According to the EEOC, the general manager of a Panda Express in San Jose California discriminated against the Latino workers and favored the Asian workers over Latino workers. The manager was reported to the EEOC for assigning less desirable jobs to the Latino employees such as cleaning bathrooms, tables, and counters while the Asian workers allowed watching or doing nothing. In addition, the Latino workers were held at a higher standard in reference to disciplinary actions. They were disciplined stricter, harsher and more frequently than their Asian co-workers.

II. Function of the EEOC: The EEOC enforces federal laws that prevent businesses from discriminating against job applicants or employees based on the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 and over), disability or genetic information. Employers with more than 15 employees, labor unions, and employment agencies are covered by EEOC laws, regardless of the type of work situation. The EEOC has the authority to investigate charges of discrimination, asses the allegation, and make a finding. The EEOC also provides training and guidance to federal agencies and assures compliance with EEOC regulations (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2011).

III. EEOC's role in Lawsuit: In this lawsuit the EEOC investigated the allegations filed by Latino workers of Panda Express and determined the manager was in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of...