Federal Laws on Job Discrimination

Discrimination at work is a practice since time immemorial. Consequently, laws are enacted to discourage employers from utilizing discriminating practices. Various federal laws prohibiting job discrimination are implemented to protect employees from being the object of discriminatory acts.

The following are just some of those federal laws prohibiting job discrimination.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)

This law prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)

Individuals who are 40 years of age or older are protected from discriminating acts by this law.

Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (ADA)

Qualified employees with disabilities from the private sectors and in state and local governments are protected from employment discrimination.

Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA)

This law prohibits employment discrimination based on genetic information involving an applicant, employee or former employee.

Civil Rights Act of 1991

This law provides monetary damages in victim’s favor in cases of intentional employment discrimination.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)

Men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment are protected by this law from sex-based wage discrimination.

Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Through this law, qualified workers with disabilities in the federal government are protected from discrimination.

Common Discriminatory Acts

Most of the foregoing laws make it illegal to discriminate individuals in any aspect of employment including:

• Hiring and termination
• Employee’s compensation, classification and assignment
• Promotion, transfer or layoff
• Recruitment and placement
• Testing
• Utilization of company facilities
• Programs on apprenticeship and job trainings
• Disability leaves, retire pay or plans
• Other employment terms and conditions

In most cases, illegal work practices take in the form of harassment, retaliation, employment stereotypes or assumption regarding disabilities, traits or performance or denying employment opportunities. Federal laws are enforced by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) which provides oversight and coordination of all federal equal employment opportunity regulations, practices and policies.

In case discriminatory acts are employed on you, you may seek recourse to the courts of law by engaging the services of an employment discrimination lawyer.