Houston, Texas: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) visited Gurudwara Sikh Center of Houston on Sunday, April 6, in their ongoing collaborative effort with UNITED SIKHS to educate the Sikh community about employment discrimination.

In addition UNITED SIKHS directors also gave presentations at EEOC offices in Dallas and Houston on April 3 and April 8 to educate the EEOC staff of employment discrimination faced by Sikhs.Joe Bontke, EEOC Outreach Manager and Ombudsman for the Houston district office, addressed the Sikh congregation and informed them of the various types of discrimination that can occur, such as discrimination in hiring, dismissal, pay raises and promotions.

The presentation encouraged the Sikh community to report cases of employment discrimination, as well as informing the congregation of their rights. Attendees were specifically informed on how to report incidents to the EEOC, as the EEOC investigates and mediates such cases. He also highlighted religious bias focusing on the Sikh identity, urging the congregation to come forth and report any incidents.

In addition to the presentation, Bontke answered questions and addressed concerns of individual community members regarding workplace and employment discrimination. The EEOC distributed literature in both English and Punjabi that discussed issues such as what qualifies as discrimination, what to do if the same occurs, and how to file a claim.