Mainly since the 1960s, American labor law – federal and state – has provided certain protections against discrimination and sought to encourage diversity in the workplace that mirrors the wider labor force.
While race and sex issues receive much of the public and academic attention, EEO rules cover other areas such as age, disability, religious practice, veteran status, and sexual orientation. In some cases, governments have used their position as buyer of goods and services to require various EEO and affirmative action practices of contractors.
This research cluster examines the impact of EEO regulation on workplace outcomes of protected groups as well as impacts on the workplace in general.