In the realm of labor law, termination of employment is a critical issue for employers and employees alike. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") is the Federal body that enforces many of the laws that protect individuals in the workplace. When an individual has their job terminated, the EEOC prescribes methods to determine if the employer violated any employment laws or protections. An employer may terminate an employee for many reasons, and provided that a termination does not violate the rights of the individual, employers are free to use their own discretion. As explained in multiple regulations within labor law, termination of an employee based on discriminatory practices of an employer is illegal. Labor law termination regulations focus on the reason an employer discharged an employee. Employee termination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, or national origin violates the rights of the individual and is illegal. If an employer terminates a job based on one of the prohibited classifications, the termination is illegal and a claim may be filed with the EEOC.