By Brett Safford, Compli

Feel like you’ve heard a lot more from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over the last few years? There’s a reason why.

From 2005 to 2011, EEOC charges brought against companies rose by nearly a third (32.5%), up from 75,428 to 99,947. The number has decreased slightly since then—there were 89,385 charges in 2015—but the nature of the charges has evolved. While the overall trend may have reached a plateau, the rates of charges made on the basis of retaliation and disability discrimination have only increased.

These facts were confirmed by Stephen J. Roppolo, whom we recently interviewed for our Definitive Guide to Workforce Compliance. Steve told us that automotive dealers need to watch out for retaliation claims, and carefully document, communicate, and reinforce their policies across the board. An individual employee’s repeated complaints do not form the basis for the employee’s termination. The better you can prove that an action against an employee wasn’t taken because the person was a “nuisance,” the better off your dealership will be.

Check out the interactive chart and read the rest, here.