Equal Employment Opportunities Commission: First Half of 2015 Sees Increase
in Complaints Due to Ethnic Origin, Race, and Military Reserve Duty

371 complaints were received by the EEOC in January–June 2015

Sharp rise in complaints due to ethnic origin (137%), race (121%),
military reserve duty (100%), and gender (64%)

For tables
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Jerusalem, July 26, 2015 – During the first half of 2015, the Equal
Employment Opportunities Commission at the Ministry of Economy dealt with
371 complaints. Analysis of the data indicates that the sharpest rise was
for complaints due to ethnic origin, at a rate of 137% (from 8 complaints to
19). A similar rise (121%) took place for complaints due to race (from 14 to
31 complaints). In addition, a significant rise was recorded in complaints
connected with military reserve duty (100% — from 16 to 32 complaints) and
in complaints due to gender (from 22 to 36 complaints). This trend is
commensurate with the issues on the public agenda, including discrimination
against those of Ethiopian origin, as well as the tension and distress
during and following Operation Protective Edge, expressed in discrimination
against both Arabs on the one hand and those serving in military reserve
duty on the other.

It is also important to emphasize, that as part of the Equal Employment
Opportunities Commission’s strategic program for 2014-2016, an emphasis has
been put on increased enforcement against discrimination due to race, and
recently the EEOC has been operating a forum with the aim of increasing the
awareness of employers of Arabs to their rights in the labor market. The
sharp rise in the number of complaints due to race is commensurate with
these activities.

In contrast, during the first half of 2015, a drop in the rate of complaints
due to religion (70%), age (26%), and pregnancy (27%) was recorded. Possibly
the drop in the number of complaints, particularly due to religion and age,
reflects the change in issues that are featured in the public agenda, in
both the political and media arenas.

Adv. Tziona Koenig-Yair, Commissioner for Equal Employment Opportunities:
“Discrimination due to race, ethnic origin, or religion, is prohibited by
law, and we are turning to employers to encourage tolerance and leadership
rather than exclusion and discrimination. The number of complaints due to
race show we still have a long road ahead to fulfill the vision of
implementing equality.”

Koenig-Yair added that the fact that there had been a small drop in
complaints due to pregnancy and parenthood, does not necessarily testify to
a drop in the recurrence of such cases of discrimination, and, in any event,
these complaints still make up most of those made to the Equal Opportunities
Commission. “I turn to the employers to look at the amazing potential we
have in employing women, and not to look at them as “walking wombs”. The
solution will not emanate solely from the labor market, but from the home
sphere. Dividing parental responsibility at home will lead to women being
able to take their appropriate place in the Israeli labor market and we will
all gain.”

During the first half of 2015, 371 complaints were received by the Equal
Opportunities Commission. Since its establishment in September 2008 and up
until June 2015, the Equal Opportunities Commission has received a total of
4,987 complaints. Likewise, in comparison with the same period last year,
there has been a 9% drop in complaints to the Commission. The segmentation
of the most important data is presented below:

Figure 1: Complaints to the Equal Opportunities Commission according to
reason for complaint, January-June 2015
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Figure 1 demonstrates that a little more than one quarter of the complaints
to the Commission during the first half of 2014 were due to discrimination
due to pregnancy. Another 11% were concerning age, 10% regarding gender, 9%
regarding military reserve duty, and 8% regarding racial discrimination. The
following figure demonstrates that around one third (36%) of the complaints
received were due to dismissal, slightly over one quarter (26%) due to
worsening of work conditions, and over one fifth (22%) regarding
discrimination in being given a job.

Figure 2: Complaints to the Equal Opportunities Commission according to
stage of employment, January-June 2015
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As in previous years, during the first half of 2015, around two-thirds of
the complaints were made by women, and the other third – by men. Likewise,
of those complaining, 91% were Jewish and the remainder – Arab.

Figure 3: Complaints to the Equal Opportunities Commission according to
gender of person complaining, January-June 2015
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A more thorough examination of the women’s complaints (Figures 4 and 5)
shows that 40% of them turned to the Commission due to pregnancy-related
discrimination. If we add the rates of those complaining due to
discrimination because of fertility treatments and parenthood, we reach a
rate of over 50% who complained about issues of discrimination connected
with the process of having and raising children. Figure 5 shows that 40%
complained about being fired, and around another quarter (27%) about
worsening of work conditions, and one fifth (19%) regarding discrimination
regarding being accepted for employment.

Figure 4: Women’s complaints according to reason for complaint, January-June
2015
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Figure 5: Women’s complaints according to stage of employment, January-June
2015
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Figure 6: Men’s complaints according to reason for complaint, January-June
2015
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Segmentation of the men’s complaints according to the issue of their
complaint (in Figure 6) indicates that the reasons for which they complained
most frequently over the last year are military reserve duty (24%), race
(15%), and age (11%). In general, we can see that in the Figure describing
the men’s complaints according to reason, more reasons are significantly
expressed, whereas for women, the “traditional female” reasons, connected
with parental responsibility, are dominant.

Figure 7: Men’s complaints according to stage of employment, January-June
2015
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Figure 7 shows that over one quarter of those complaining complained about
discrimination when being fired (28%) and in being accepted for employment
(27%). Another quarter reported discrimination regarding worsening of work
conditions.

We can also learn from segmenting the complaints (Figure 8), that two-thirds
of the complaints to the Commission were from the private sector, and just
over one-fifth (22%) from the public sector.

Figure 8: Complaints to the Equal Opportunities Commission according to
employment sector, January-June 2015
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Multi-year trend
As already noted, in comparison with the same period last year, there has
been a 9% drop in the number of complaints. However, a more thorough
examination of the trends for change in complaints shows that there has been
an increase in the number and rate of complaints for some issues and a
decrease for others. So we find, for example, that complaints due to ethnic
origin have increased by 137%; complaints due to race have increased by
121%; complaints concerned with military reserve duty have increased by
100%, and those due to gender have grown by 64%. Regarding other issues,
there has been a drop of between 70% (religion) and 26%-27% (pregnancy and
age), excluding complaints regarding parenthood where there has been almost
no change .

Figure 9: Multi-year comparison according to reason for complaint
(January-June 2015 as compared to January-June 2014)

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