Laws Against Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
Laws Against Gender Discrimination
Sex or gender discrimination is when an employer treats someone poorly because of their sex. It is considered discrimination whether the person is applying for a work position or are a current employee. While women have proven that they are as able to perform with the same success and skills as men in everything and anything, the problem of sex discrimination continues to hold women back. Men can be discriminated against as well.
Federal Law
Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act is the one that protects people from discrimination based on their sex. With this law in place, it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against a person when hiring them, firing them or in any other conditions or terms of their employment like raises, promotions or other job opportunities due to their sex. Most states have laws in place that make it illegal to discriminate against a person based on their sex as well.
Who Does the Law Cover?
Under Title VII, private employers, educational institutions and state and local governments that hire 15 or more people to run their operations are not allowed to discriminate based on gender. The law also covers public and private employment agencies, joint labor committees that oversee apprenticeship and training programs and labor organizations.
Can Women Be Paid Less Legally?
The Equal Pay Act (EPA) and Title VII make it illegal for an employer to discriminate based on sex when it comes to providing benefits and paying wages. In the category of compensation, the laws cover all form of it including an employee’s basic salary, bonuses, overtime pay, stock options and profit sharing. It also covers vacation time, life insurance and holiday pay along with gasoline allowances, travel expense reimbursements and hotel accommodations.
According to the EPA, employers are barred from paying unequal earnings to women and men who work at jobs that require the same responsibility, effort and skill that are performed under similar work conditions in the same business.
A Few Considerations
Know that employers are not permitted to lower wages of either sex to make pay levels equal between men and women. It is an EPA violation when a different wage is paid or was paid to someone who worked at the same job before or after a worker of the opposite sex.
Laws Against Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
The law is for current employees and those who are applying for a job. If you work for a company and are fired, passed over for a promotion or not accommodated based on your gender or sex, then the law protects you. If you’ve been discriminated against, contact us at the Tyler Allen law firm by filling out the form on this page or calling us at (602) 456-0545. We can help.