Employment discrimination occurs when employers make hiring, firing, promotion, or pay decisions based on protected characteristics rather than job performance or qualifications. Federal law bars discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40+), disability, or genetic information. State and local laws often add sexual orientation, gender identity, and other categories.
If you're rejected for a job because you're over 40, or an employer refuses to accommodate your religious dress, you can file a charge with the EEOC. The agency investigates and can sue on your behalf. An employer can't legally pay a woman less than a man doing the same work, or promote someone while denying advancement to others based on protected characteristics.
Employers have some defenses: they can make decisions based on job requirements (a restaurant can require that chefs know how to cook) and can hire based on legitimate business needs. The harder question is algorithmic bias: if an AI tool screens resumes and disproportionately rejects applicants of a particular race, is that illegal discrimination? Courts are still developing answers.
Employment discrimination shapes whether you can earn a living without facing barriers based on identity. It's one of the most active areas of civil rights law and increasingly implicates new questions about AI and algorithmic fairness.
People think employers can choose anyone they want. Actually, federal law requires that hiring, firing, and pay decisions be based on qualifications, not protected characteristics. An employer can turn someone down, but not because of their race, religion, age, or disability status.
Employment discrimination shapes whether you can earn a living without facing barriers based on identity. It's one of the most active areas of civil rights law and increasingly implicates new questions about AI and algorithmic fairness.
People think employers can choose anyone they want. Actually, federal law requires that hiring, firing, and pay decisions be based on qualifications, not protected characteristics. An employer can turn someone down, but not because of their race, religion, age, or disability status.