Discrimination

This section generally defines discrimination that is prohibited in the workplace and other aspects of employment, such as hiring, firing, promotion, and employee benefits and pay.

It also explains employee rights under Federal laws and affirmative action programs that prohibit workplace and employment discrimination on the basis of age, creed, disability, national origin, race, religion, genetics or sex (gender). Reverse discrimination is included too.

Disability discrimination includes acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS discrimination. Sex discrimination includes sexual harassment and bias on the basis of gender, pregnancy, childbirth, abortion, marital status, parental status and sexual orientation (sexual preference).

Discrimination Topics

Affirmative Action
About affirmative action programs, which are designed to eliminate discrimination in employment. Includes information about "reverse discrimination".

Age Discrimination
Employee rights regarding the age discrimination that is specifically prohibited under age discrimination laws, such as the landmark Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Employee rights under the landmark law that prohibits employment discrimination against workers who have disabilities.

Association Discrimination
Association discrimination occurs when employees suffer prejudice at work, because of their associations with disabled people. Learn of the legal recourse available under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Employment Discrimination Definition and Laws
As the link title indicates, this employee rights article defines employment discrimination and references landmark, Federal discrimination laws that prohibit it. Provides links for taking legal action.

Employment Discrimination for Military Service
Summarizes Federal laws that prohibit employment discrimination against reservists or veterans on the basis of their military service. Provides links to more information from official government sources.

Equal Pay
Equal pay for equal work simply explained, under the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and other U.S. laws that prohibit employers from discriminatorily paying unequal wages.

Family Responsibility Discrimination (Caregiver Discrimination)
Family responsibility discrimination (FRD), also referred to as caregiver discrimination, is prejudice in employment against employees solely on the basis of their responsibilities to care for family members. Learn more about FRD and how you can gain relief.

Genetic Discrimination in Employment
Defines illegal genetic discrimination as it applies to employment, and explains the legal recourse available under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) and equivalent state discrimination laws.

Harassment at Work
Sexual harassment is only one type of harassment at work. Discover what constitutes other illegal forms of harassment in the workplace and which Federal discrimination laws prohibit it.

National Origin Discrimination
Definition of national origin discrimination, simple examples, laws that make it illegal and tips for seeking relief (legal recourse).

Pregnancy Discrimination
Regarding pregnancy, childbirth and related employment discrimination, for which the Pregnancy Discrimination Act protects both parents.

Race Discrimination (Color Discrimination)
Explains what constitutes race discrimination at work and the legal recourse available to victims under Federal and state race discrimination laws. Color discrimination is another name for race discrimination.

Rehabilitation Act
Employee rights under the law that prohibits discrimination against disabled workers by Federal-government employers, and by private-sector employers with certain Federal-government associations.

Religious Discrimination
Defines religious discrimination in the workplace and otherwise related to work, and explains the relief available to victims under the relevant laws. Also explains reverse religious discrimination and relief. Includes examples of both types of religious discrimination, also referred to as religion discrimination.

Reverse Discrimination
Definition of reverse discrimination caused by affirmative action programs, also referred to as reverse race discrimination or reverse racism. Includes a simple example, the law that prohibits it and information about legal recourse (filing a charge or lawsuit). Can also occur as reverse religious discrimination.

Sex Discrimination
Defines sex discrimination in employment, summarizes applicable laws and explains the legal recourse available to victims.

Sexual Harassment
What constitutes sex discrimination in the form of sexual harassment in the workplace for either males or females, the laws that prohibit it, and the legal recourse to which your employee rights entitle you.

Topics Related to Discrimination

Click on a link below to display the related topic indicated. Click on the to display the section from which the related topic originates.

Dress Code Discrimination
About employer office or business dress code policies and the employee discrimination charges that might result.

Fair Pay Laws
Summarizes the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (Fair Pay Act), the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and other Federal discrimination laws that serve as "fair pay laws" for employees.

Hostile Work Environment
Defines what constitutes a hostile work environment in the legal sense. Lists the Federal discrimination laws that prohibit it and provides links to avenues of relief.

Illegal Interview Questions
Explains what so-called "illegal interview questions" are. Provides a link to example questions that might become evidence of discrimination in job hiring, along with tips on how to deal with such questions.

Medical Marijuana Employment Discrimination
Discover whether an employer may discriminate against you (legally fire or refuse to hire you), because you failed an employment drug test for legally using medical marijuana off the job.

Nepotism Discrimination
Nepotism means favoring relatives, such as when making employment decisions. It's not universally illegal in employment, but its consequences might constitute illegal employment discrimination. Learn more.

Wrongful Termination
What might constitute an illegal employment discharge, commonly referred to as wrongful termination. Firing an employee solely for a discriminatory reason is an example.

See Criminal Record for information about the extent to which employers may consider criminal records in job hiring, discharge and other employment decisions, while avoiding discrimination.

See also the topics in the Retaliation section. Retaliation is a form of workplace, employment or whistleblower discrimination.

Lastly, see Federal Employment Discrimination Laws for links to landmark Federal acts that prohibit employment discrimination of the illegal type. The same page is also linked in relevant articles above.