U.S. flag
        An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**
              
                A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
              
                A **lock** (
              A locked padlock
              ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive
                information only on official, secure websites.  Home
                    *U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission*

      search
      Menu
      Any of these words (optional)
Search

    close
            About EEOC
          
                        
  
    **About EEOC**
                        Overview
                                  The Commission and The General Counsel
                                  Commission Votes
                                  Meetings of the Commission
                                  EEOC History
                                  **News and Information**
                        Newsroom
                                  What You Should Know
                                  Legislative Affairs
                                  Publications
                                  Outreach and Education
                                  FOIA
              **Laws and Enforcement**
                        Laws, Regulations, Guidance and MOUs
                                  Discrimination by Type
                                  Mediation
                                  Litigation
                                  Systemic Enforcement
                                  Commissioner Charges and Directed Investigations
              **Programs and Performance**
                        Budget and Performance
                                  Initiatives
                                  Interagency Programs
                                  State and Local Programs
                                  Task Forces
                                  Tribal Programs
              **Data and Analytics**
                        Overview
                                  Data Governance
                                  EEO Data Collections
                                  Data and Statistics
                                  Data Tools and Products
                                  No FEAR Act Data
                                  **Inside EEOC**
                        Careers
                                  Office for Civil Rights, Diversity and Inclusion
                                  Doing Business with EEOC
                                  Privacy
                                  Office of Inspector General
          
                                            
  
      
                  
                        Employees & Job Applicants
          
                        
  
    **Employees & Applicants**
                        Overview
                                  Coverage
                                  Timeliness
                                  Prohibited Practices
              **Filing a Charge of Discrimination**
                        Filing a Charge
                                  How to File
                                  After You File a Charge
                                  Confidentiality
                                  Mediation
                                  Remedies
                                  Existing Charges
                                  Filing a Lawsuit
              **Discrimination by Type**
                        Age
                                  Disability
                                  Equal Pay
                                  Genetic Information
                                  Harassment
                                  National Origin Discrimination
                                  Pregnancy Discrimination
                                  Race/Color Discrimination
                                  Religious Discrimination
                                  Retaliation
                                  Sex
                                  Sexual Harassment
                                  Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
          
                                  
  
      
                  
                        Employers / Small Business
          
                        
  
    **Employers / Small Business**
                        Overview
                                  Coverage
                                  After a Charge is Filed
                                  Resolving a Charge
                                  Commissioner Charges and Directed Investigations
                                  Remedies
              **Small Business Resource Center**
                        Small Business Home
                                  Small Business Requirements
                                  Frequently Asked Questions
                                  Tips for Small Businesses
                                  Making an Employment Decision?
                                  EEOC Resources
                                  Small Business Assistance
                                  Small Business Fact Sheet
                                  Small Business Videos
                                  EEOC Glossary
                                  Contact Us
              **Discrimination by Type**
                        Age
                                  Disability
                                  Equal Pay
                                  Genetic Information
                                  Harassment
                                  National Origin
                                  Pregnancy
                                  Race/Color
                                  Religion
                                  Retaliation
                                  Sex
                                  Sexual Harassment
                                  Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
                                  Prohibited Practices
              Recordkeeping
                                  EEO Data Collections
                                  "Know Your Rights" Poster
                                  Training
                                  Other Employment Issues
          
                                            
  
      
                  
                        Federal Sector
          
                        
  
    **Federal Agencies**
                        Overview
                                  Federal EEO Coordination
                                  Federal Agency EEO Directors
                                  Laws, Regulations, Guidance & MOUs
                                  Management Directives & Federal Sector Guidance
                                  Federal Training & Outreach
                                  Resources
              **Federal Employees & Job Applicants**
                        Overview
                                  Federal Complaint Process
                                  Federal Sector Alternative Dispute Resolution
                                  Discrimination by Type
                                  Other Federal Protections
                                  Prohibited Practices
                                  Resources
          
                        
  
      
                  
                        Contact Us
          
                        
  
    Contact EEOC
                                  Find Your Nearest Office
                                  Office Operating Status
                                  Frequently Asked Questions

        
                  Languages
    English
              Español (Spanish)
                    Resources in Other Languages
                    عربي (Arabic)
              简体中文 (Chinese, Simplified)
              繁體中文 - Chinese (Traditional)
              Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole)
              한국어 (Korean)
              Русском (Russian)
              Tagalog (Tagalog)
              Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
              فارسی (Persian. Farsi)
              پښتو (Pashto)
          

  

  Breadcrumb
Home
  A Message from EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows on Hispanic Heritage Month 2022

                      
                        

          
          
                        A Message from EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows on Hispanic Heritage Month 2022
              


          
  From September 15th to October 15th of each year, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements of our country’s Hispanic communities. This year’s theme is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation,” a reminder that diverse voices and perspectives should be welcomed and included as we develop strong communities that contribute to a robust economy and nation. At the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), we are working to build inclusive workplaces for a stronger nation.

Roberto Clemente, the first Latin-American and Caribbean player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, once said “all human beings are equal, but one has to unceasingly fight hard to maintain that equality.” History as well as recent studies indicate that Hispanics have demonstrated such resilience to advance equality in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that in 2019, there were nearly 347,000 Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States, which made up about 6% of U.S. businesses, up from 4.6% only a year earlier. Further, Hispanics have made significant contributions to our nation, including their vital services during the COVID-19 pandemic in nearly every profession, from farm and construction workers, to nurses, doctors, teachers, and scientists, as well as their effective leadership as servicemembers, diplomats, and elected officials.

However, the last few years have not been without challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. From August 2020 to September 2020, Hispanic women experienced the highest decrease in labor force size of all demographic groups. In part, this decrease was due to women needing to leave the workforce based on family-care obligations.[1] To help combat discrimination that might result in job losses or reduced hours, the EEOC has published technical assistance on how discrimination against applicants and employees with caregiving responsibilities during the pandemic may violate federal employment discrimination laws. Additionally, after observing the pandemic’s devastating impact on underserved communities – including Hispanic communities – our agency launched the Hiring Initiative to Reimagine Equity, or HIRE. This joint initiative with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is helping to address hiring and recruiting challenges and expand access to good jobs for underrepresented workers.

The EEOC continues to serve at the forefront in protecting the rights of Hispanic workers. We have signed Memorandums of Understanding with the Embassies of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to reaffirm that employees from those countries – regardless of immigration status or national origin – are protected under our nation’s employment discrimination laws. To help ensure language is not a barrier to accessing federal employment protections, the Commission also offers many resources for individuals with limited English proficiency, such as access to bilingual agency staff and our Spanish language website. We conduct radio and social media outreach in Spanish. The EEOC also partners with a variety of organizations to inform Hispanic audiences of their workplace rights and obligations and to strengthen the EEOC’s long-term relationship with these communities. Last month, we held our first virtual EEO workshop for employers exclusively in Spanish.

To prevent and remedy workplace discrimination, the EEOC achieved the following on behalf of Hispanic workers:

In May 2021, the EEOC and Wild Fork Food settled a lawsuit with a consent decree after a Hispanic employee at the company was subjected to a hostile work environment based on her race and national origin and experienced retaliation when she complained about the behavior. The consent decree requires Wild Fork Food to pay $130,000 in monetary relief to the employee in addition to providing training on national origin discrimination, race discrimination, and harassment to employees.
	In August 2021, ABM Industries entered into a conciliation agreement with the EEOC after a class of Hispanic employees were harassed based on their national origin. ABM agreed to pay $25,000 to each charging party and $10,000 to an identified class member, totaling $60,000. Furthermore, the company agreed to conduct training for management personnel and redistribute the company’s harassment and discrimination policies to their employees.
	In June 2022, Baumann Farms and the EEOC settled a lawsuit with a consent decree after female employees were sexually harassed by their male supervisor at Baumann Farms and due to the company’s English-only policy that discriminated against non-English-speaking Hispanic employees based on national origin. The company agreed to pay $180,812.50 in monetary damages and implement several systems, such as a hotline for discrimination complaints, to ensure any future instances of harassment or discrimination are remedied.These are just a few examples of our work and its impact on Hispanic workers.

Throughout the year and especially during Hispanic Heritage Month, the EEOC celebrates the diverse voices and numerous contributions of Hispanic people. We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity for all by promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in America’s workplaces so that every worker has an opportunity to contribute to a strong economy for an even stronger nation.

[1] U.S. Dep’t of Lab., Bearing the Cost 12-14 (Mar. 15, 2022).

EEOC Announces First Spanish Language Webinar for Employers | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
      
              Translate this Page
    EnglishEspañol (Spanish)Return to top

  EEOC Logo, Image
            U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

          EEOC Headquarters
              131 M Street, NE
Washington, DC 205071-800-669-6820 (TTY)1-844-234-5122 (ASL Video Phone)

        Questions?

Call 1-800-669-4000
For Deaf/Hard of Hearing callers:1-800-669-6820 (TTY)1-844-234-5122 (ASL Video Phone)info@eeoc.govFind your nearest EEOC officeFrequently Asked Questions
          Connect With Us

  FOIA
      
    
                      Privacy Policy
      
    
                      Disclaimer
      
    
                      Accessibility
      
    
                      Office of Inspector General
      
    
                      Promoting Access to Voting
      
    
                      USA.gov