According to the Cornell University website, there are a number of different types of discrimination that are prohibited by federal or state law. For example, both federal and state laws prohibit discrimination base don age. In the case of age bias lawsuits, the federal courts have determined that an individual can win a discrimination lawsuit against an employer without having to provide that the employer had an illegal motive. Other forms of workplace discrimination that may be actionable under federal law would include discrimination based on national origin, on pregnancy, on race or on religion. Various laws protect or enforce an individualÆs right not to be discriminated against including The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Equal Pay Act.
Employees have the right to pursue a variety of remedies for discrimination through both state and federal agencies as well as in state and federal court. For example, an employee who believes that they are the victim of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin can file a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to trigger protection and the enforcement mechanisms provided under Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Employment Discrimination).
According to Byran Chapman in an online essay published by The Law Office of Byran Chapman, discrimination can take the form of an adverse action that affects an employee economically such as failure to promote, demotion, suspension, termination, or loss of benefits.á Discrimination can also take the form of a hostile work environment, such as, verbal or physical harassment based on an employee's race, sex, national origin, religion, age, or disability.á Discrimination can occur when an employer fails to reasonably accommodate a qualified employee with a disability (Chapman).á
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