Should the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigate businesses on its own when no complaints have been filed?
That was the question at the center of a recent Senate committee hearing, when the EEOC’s investigation of alleged age discrimination by Texas Roadhouse was held up as an example of possible overreach by the agency. The EEOC brought a case against the Louisville, Ken.-based national chain in 2011, claiming the company refused to hire individuals 40 and over for front-of-the-house positions. The case is based on the EEOC’s assessment of Texas Roadhouse employees’ demographics rather than employee complaints of discrimination. The case has yet to be resolved.