Andrew Gordon Discusses the EEOC's Response to Gender Discrimination in the Construction Industry

Hinshaw partner Andrew Gordon recently discussed in SHRM Magazine a $2.6 million lawsuit against Green JobWorks LLC that highlights gender discrimination in the construction industry and the efforts by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to address discrimination and harassment in the industry.

The EEOC obtained a default judgment in their lawsuit against staffing agency Green JobWorks LLC for allegedly refusing to hire female workers for demolition and laborer positions and for refusing to give female workers certain tasks because of their sex, therefore violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Gordon stated that denying women jobs because of preconceived notions related to gender is unlawful. "Employees should be assessed based on individual qualifications, or lack thereof—not on legally protected characteristics," he added.

Gordon noted that the EEOC is addressing what it considers to be "severe and pervasive" discrimination and harassment in the construction industry. "… [T]he EEOC has filed quite a few lawsuits against construction companies throughout the country, aimed at tackling discrimination and harassment that has historically plagued this industry," he said.

"$2.6 Million Lawsuit Highlights How Discrimination Plagues the Construction Industry" was published by SHRM on April 4, 2023.