A Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace was formed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to examine the problem of harassment in the workplace in all its forms and identify new ways to prevent and eliminate it.

Key tools from the EEOC Task Force report:

• Chart of Risk Factors and Responsive Strategies
  This presents common risk factors, indicators of risk, why these are considered harassment under the law and specific strategies to reduce them.
• Leadership and Accountability Checklist (For Employers)
• An Anti-Harassment Policy Checklist (For Employers)
• A Harassment Reporting System and Investigations Checklist (For Employers)
• Compliance Training Checklist (For Employers)

The full Report of the Task Force by co-chairs Chai R. Feldbaum and Victoria A. Lipnic  was presented on June 20, 2016, and is available from the EEOC.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate on the basis of complaints about, charges filed on or participation in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

Companies with at least 15 employees are bound by EEOC laws, except in age discrimination cases, which apply to companies with 20 or more employees. These rules also apply to most labor unions and employment agencies.