Several federal laws prevent workers from facing discrimination. These protect workers at all stages of employment, from their interviews to their termination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces these laws.
Here is an overview of discrimination laws.
Racial discrimination
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits racial discrimination. That means that employers cannot discriminate against someone because of skin color or race.
Gender discrimination
Title VII prohibits gender discrimination. When an employer discriminates against someone for their biological sex, membership in a gender organization, sexual orientation or transgender status, they should submit a discrimination complaint.
Religious discrimination
The contents of Title VII also prohibit discrimination against religious employees. It also protects those who are not religious but have strong moral beliefs.
Pregnancy discrimination
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act protects pregnant women, those who recently gave birth and those who are suffering from a condition related to pregnancy or delivery. Likewise, the Family and Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disabilities Act establish that women have the right to maternity leave or reasonable accommodations for pregnancy and childbirth.
Disability discrimination
People primarily know the ADA for prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities. It protects anyone with a disability. Employers must provide these people with accommodations so they can perform their jobs.
Age discrimination
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects workers who are over 40 against age discrimination. That means that employers cannot favor younger employees when it comes to hiring, benefits, retirement or promotions.
There are a lot of different types of discrimination and these federal laws exist to protect workers against them. It is a worker’s responsibility to report any violations to uphold these laws.
