Salient Federal Laws Prohibiting Employment Discrimination

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by: Mesriani
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Word Count: 472

You cannot avoid discrimination. As long as there are people who single out and show prejudice against persons whom they think to be inferior, then discrimination persists.

But the government does everything to fight this wrong. The legislature has enacted a number of laws to counteract this problem. The main purpose of these legislations is to put an end to inequality and provide equal employment opportunity.

What are the Federal Laws which protect employees from Employment Discrimination?

• Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII – this law considers it unlawful for an employer, employment agency, labor organization or joint labor management committee to discriminate workers on account of their:

1. Race

2. Skin Color

3. Religion

4. Sex

5. Nationality

• Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) – this law prohibits employers, labor organizations or its agents to discriminate against employees who are paid at a rate lower than that of another although both employees rendered equal amount of work and the task required the same skill and ability.

Exception: When payment is made pursuant to:

1. The Seniority system

2. The Merit system

3. Quality/Quantity production

4. Differential other than sex

• Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) – this law makes it illegal to discriminate employees on account of age by:

1. refusing or failing to hire or fire employees

2. limiting, separating or classifying employees in a way which deprives them employment opportunities or advancement

3. reducing the wage rate of an employee

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Titles I and V – this law makes illegal the discrimination against employees on account of their disability by providing equal opportunity in employment. The law orders that no covered entity shall discriminate against individuals who are otherwise qualified and have met employment requirements regarding:

1. Job application procedures

2. Hiring

3. Career advancement

4. Discharging

5. Compensation and wages

6. Job trainings

7. Other employment privileges

• The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Sections 501 and 505 – this law prohibits employment discrimination against disabled persons in the federal sectors.

• The Civil Rights Act of 1991 – this law provides assistance to employees who are victims of intentional employment discrimination in the form of monetary compensation and other protections. The purposes of this law, as mentioned in Sec. 3 of said Act are as follows:

1. to provide appropriate remedies for intentional discrimination and unlawful harassment in the workplace

2. to codify the concepts of "business necessity" and "job related"

3. to confirm statutory authority and provide statutory guidelines for the adjudication of disparate impact suits under title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

4. to respond to recent decisions of the Supreme Court by expanding the scope of relevant civil rights statutes in order to provide adequate protection to victims of discrimination

In order to avail of the protections provided by these laws, the discriminated employee should first hire an employment discrimination lawyer. This kind of lawyer possesses the necessary skills and knowledge to defend your case.

If you have questions regarding employment discrimination, visit our website and seek help from our expert Los Angeles employment discrimination lawyers.

About the Author

Adriane Lauren Luna has fascinations for reading and traveling. She has always wanted to go places, learn about their history and culture, and meet different kinds of people. Every book read and every country visited, she considered it as one of her life’s conquests. Now she is at it again. She ventured into writing because she likes to think of it as another world unexplored.

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