Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission

The Great Plains state of Nebraska is home to 1.78 million people. It produces a gross product worth about $68 billion a year, per a report by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Nebraska’s economy is primarily agriculture based. The state’s biggest cash crops include soybeans, corn, and beef. IT, telecommunications, trucking and rail transport industries thrive here. Omaha is home to a plethora of insurance companies as well as Berkshire Hathaway, a conglomerate run by billionaire investor, Warren Buffet.

The Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission (NEOC) investigates and enforces employment discrimination cases in the state. The Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act (also called Legislative Bill 656) established the NEOC in 1965. Over the years, the agency’s mandate has expanded. Subsequent to its foundation, the Equal Pay Act, the Nebraska Civil Rights Act, the Act Prohibiting Unjust Discrimination in Employment Because of Age, the Fair Housing Act, and the Fair Employment Practice Act have all been added to the NEOC’s jurisdiction.

Seven Commissioners -- each individually selected by the Governor -- run the organization out of Lincoln. The NEOC also maintains a presence in Scotts Bluff and Omaha. Per the commission’s website, the NEOC has four principle missions.

1. To collect and process the complaints and concerns of Nebraska’s citizens in a time efficient manner.

2. To guarantee equal opportunity to all citizens of the state in the arenas of housing, accommodations, and employment.

3. To provide correct information to the public.

4. To serve the public efficiently.

Employment discrimination, harassment, and wage and hour cases in Nebraska often arise in the state’s food service industry. Workers at NE’s big beef, poultry, and pork plants labor under strenuous conditions for low wages. Oftentimes, wage and hour violations occur without either employers or employees realizing.

If your Nebraska employer has not complied with fair employment practices, the firm of Joseph, Herzfeld, Hester & Kirschenbaum LLP can provide a free consultation about your discrimination matter.