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Discrimination and Bias: Candid Conversations

24 minutesEN / ES / MLCCHR ComplianceTitle VII of the Civil Rights Act (42 U.S.C. 2000e); ADA; ADEA; EEOC enforcement
Quick Answer

Discrimination and Bias: Candid Conversations is a 24-minute online course that teaches employees to recognize implicit and explicit bias, understand how bias affects workplace decisions, and implement strategies to prevent discriminatory behavior as addressed by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and other federal anti-discrimination statutes. It is designed for employees at all levels, supervisors, and HR professionals, and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

The EEOC received 88,531 new charges of workplace discrimination in fiscal year 2024, a 9.2% increase over the prior year. Retaliation claims led all categories with over 42,000 charges, followed closely by disability and race-based discrimination claims. The EEOC secured nearly $700 million for over 21,000 victims of employment discrimination that year - the highest monetary recovery in the agency's recent history. Employers that fail to train their workforce on recognizing and preventing discriminatory behavior face not only regulatory penalties but also significant litigation costs, reputational damage, and the loss of talented employees who leave hostile or unwelcoming work environments.

This course guides your employees through an honest examination of both implicit (unconscious) and explicit bias and how each type influences workplace behavior and decision-making. Your team will learn to identify common forms of workplace discrimination, understand the legal protections afforded by federal anti-discrimination statutes, and apply practical strategies for reducing the impact of personal biases on hiring, promotion, assignment, and daily interactions. The training uses a candid, conversation-based approach that encourages self-reflection without blame.

What You'll Learn

  • The difference between implicit (unconscious) bias and explicit discrimination and how each manifests in the workplace
  • Federal anti-discrimination laws including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the ADA, ADEA, and the Equal Pay Act
  • How bias affects hiring decisions, performance evaluations, team assignments, and promotion processes
  • Strategies for recognizing and interrupting personal biases before they influence workplace actions
  • The legal concept of disparate treatment versus disparate impact discrimination
  • Bystander intervention techniques for addressing discriminatory behavior when witnessed
  • How to report discrimination concerns through internal channels and external agencies

Who Needs This Training

  • HR professionals and compliance officers responsible for maintaining anti-discrimination policies and training programs
  • Hiring managers and recruiters whose decisions directly impact workforce composition and fairness
  • Supervisors and team leads who evaluate employee performance and make assignment and promotion decisions
  • All employees as part of annual anti-discrimination and workplace respect training initiatives
  • Managers at organizations responding to EEOC charges or seeking to strengthen affirmative defenses

Regulatory Background

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin for employers with 15 or more employees. Additional federal statutes extend protection to age (ADEA), disability (ADA), genetic information (GINA), and pregnancy (PDA and PWFA). The EEOC enforces all of these statutes and received 88,531 new charges in FY 2024, reflecting continued growth in discrimination filings. Title VII claims accounted for 59.5% of all charges, while ADA claims represented 43.2%. The agency filed 111 merits lawsuits in FY 2024, achieving a 97% success rate in resolved cases. Employer liability for discrimination can include compensatory and punitive damages, with caps ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 depending on employer size. Beyond federal law, most states have their own anti-discrimination statutes with additional protected categories and, in some cases, no caps on damages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Federal law does not mandate general anti-discrimination training for all employees. However, several states - including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, and New York - require employers to provide harassment prevention training that includes discrimination and bias components. Even in states without mandates, the EEOC and courts consider an employer's training efforts when evaluating liability for discrimination claims, making training a practical necessity for managing legal risk.
Implicit bias refers to unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect decisions and behavior without the individual's awareness. Explicit discrimination involves intentional unfair treatment of a person based on a protected characteristic such as race, sex, age, or disability. Both can lead to violations of anti-discrimination law. While implicit bias is not itself illegal, it can result in discriminatory outcomes - such as biased hiring patterns or performance reviews - that create legal liability for employers.
Employers that maintain regular, documented anti-discrimination training programs are better positioned to assert affirmative defenses in harassment and discrimination cases. Courts have recognized that proactive training, combined with clear reporting policies and prompt corrective action, demonstrates an employer's good faith effort to prevent and address discrimination. This can reduce or eliminate employer liability in certain hostile work environment claims.
Federal law protects against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age (40 and older), disability, and genetic information. Many states add additional protections for characteristics such as marital status, military status, citizenship status, criminal history, and political affiliation. Employers should review both federal and state requirements to ensure their policies cover all applicable protections.
States with mandatory training requirements typically require it every one to two years. California and Connecticut require training every two years, while New York requires annual training. Even in states without mandates, annual or biennial refresher training is considered a best practice by the EEOC. Training should also be provided to new hires during onboarding and to newly promoted supervisors when they assume management responsibilities.
$24.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$24.95
10 - 24$19.95
25 - 49$17.95
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $24.95
Language

This course is available in English, Spanish, and Multi-Language CC at no additional charge.

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

$24.95
per person