Applicable Laws

Various laws, ordinances, and Acts have been passed over the years to limit the impact of discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Let’s cover a few of them.

Equal Employment Opportunities – U.S. EEO laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of stated characteristics in terms and conditions of employment. As such, “opportunities” exist in numerous employment contexts, including, but not limited to: internal & external recruiting, interview processes, employment testing, background checks, compensation, benefits, employee perkss, working conditions, dress & appearance, leave management, disciplinary or corrective action, downsizing or termination.

Protected Classes of Persons in the United States under EEO – A collection of federal laws and executive orders make it illegal to discriminate in the terms and conditions of employment based one or more of the following characteristics:

• Race.
• Color.
• Ethnicity/national origin.
• Sex.
• Sexual orientation.
• Gender identity or expression.
• Pregnancy.
• Religion, belief and spirituality.
• Age.
• Disability.
• Use of family and medical leave.
• Military status.
• Genetic information.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Age Discrimination Act of 1967

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990