Major Laws

Major Equal Employment Opportunity Laws

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Executive Order 11246 (as amended by 11375)—Requires affirmative action programs for women and minorities and 
prohibits job discrimination on the basis of race, color , religion, sex, or national origin.

Section 402, Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974—Requires affirmative action to employ and advance in employment 
qualified special disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam era and prohibits discrimination based on Vietnam-era 
veteran status or special disabled veteran status in federally assisted programs.

Section 503, Rehabilitation Act of 1973—Requires affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified 
individuals with disabilities and prohibits discrimination based on disability in federally assisted programs.

 


AGE

Age Discrimination Act of 1975—Prohibits discrimination based on age in federally assisted programs.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967—Prohibits discrimination based on age in employment for employees 40 years old or older.

 


DISABILITY

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990—Prohibits discrimination based on disability in employment, public accommodations, public services, transportation, and telecommunications and requires provision of reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.

Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973—Prohibits discrimination based on disability in federally assisted programs and requires affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.

 


GENDER

Equal Pay Act of 1963—Prohibits sex discrimination in payment of wages to women and men performing substantially equal work in the same establishment.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978—Prohibits discrimination in employment based on pregnancy and related conditions.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—Prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Title IX of Education Amendments of 1972—Prohibits discrimination based on sex in federally assisted programs.

 


RACE, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally assisted programs.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—Prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

 


RELIGION

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—Prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

 


VETERAN STATUS

Section 402, Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974—Prohibits discrimination based on Vietnam-era veteran status or special 
disabled veteran status in federally assisted programs and requires affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified special disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam era.

 


EQUAL PAY ACT OF 1963

Requires equal pay for equal work, i.e., substantially equal in skill, effort, and responsibility. Permissible pay discrimination under the Act includes circumstances in which pay differentials between men and women in the same job title are due to:
(1) seniority system, 
(2) merit system, 
(3) system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production, or
(4) differentials based on any other factor other than sex.

Equal Pay Act 1963 Online Document


CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

Prohibits discrimination in programs receiving Federal funds.

Title VI: Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race or national origin in federally-financially assisted programs.

Title VII: Prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex (including pregnancy).

Title VII


AGE DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT ACT OF 1967

Prohibits discrimination in employment of individuals over 40 years of age and older, except in special circumstances.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act 1967 Online Document

 


TITLE IX OF THE 1972 EDUCATIONAL AMENDMENTS

Prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions receiving Federal funds. Covers programs and activities including students loans and scholarships, access to courses, housing, health services, athletics, career services and publications.

Title IX

 


EXECUTIVE ORDER 11246

Prohibits discrimination in employment practices of Federal contractors who receive $50,000 or more in federal funds and have 50 or more employees. Requires affirmative action be taken to provide employment opportunities for qualified
women and minorities.

Online Document

 


Executive Order 2022-06D

Defining and Combating Antisemitism

Online Document

 


Executive Order 2023-01D

Anti-Discrimination Policy in State Government

Online Document

 


REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973

Prohibits discrimination in programs receiving Federal funds on the basis of disability.

Section 503
Requires affirmative action be taken to provide employment opportunities for qualified persons with disabilities by employers receiving more than $2,500 or more in Federal funds.

Section 504

 


READJUSTMENT ACT OF 1974

Section 402 of the Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974
Requires affirmative action be taken to employ Vietnam era veterans, special disabled and disabled veterans by employers receiving $10,000 or more in Federal funds. Amended in 1992 to cover all veterans.

Section 402


AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990

Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment (Title I), by state and local governments (Title II), in public accommodations (Title III), and in telecommunications (Title IV).

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Online Document

 


CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1991

Civil Rights Act of 1991 Online Document