Employees (and applicants) are protected from various forms of discrimination. Employees are also protected from retaliation by employers when they engage in certain types of behavior related to these protections.

If an employee or job applicant thinks that his or her rights have been violated, a business owner may receive something called a “EEOC complaint/charge.” The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) is a federal administrative agency which assists in the enforcement of federal employment-related anti-discrimination laws, particularly Title VII.