History of Diversity Laws

Federal laws exist to prohibit job discrimination and promote workplace diversity.  SHRM defines workplace diversity as diversity that includes:

• Management and union
• Functional level and classification or proximity/distance to headquarters
• The broad definition of diversity helps employees to connect with each other, strengthens relationships, and helps deal with difficult issues that may arise later on within the workplace

1. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.  Source:  http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/vii.html
2. Equal Pay Act 1963 (EPA), which protects men and woman who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination.  Source:  http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/epa.html

• The EPA is the oldest workplace civil rights law enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• It is unlawful for employers to reduce the wages of either sex to equalize pay between men and women.
• An employer is permitted to base salary differences on seniority, merit, and quantity or quality of production -in fact, generally any other business-related factor, as long as it is not based on a person's sex.
• Employers found in violation of the EPA can be compelled to pay back pay, punitive relief, and liquidated damages if the violation is shown to be willful.

3.      Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older.
Source:  http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/adea.html

4.      Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibit employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the private sector, and in state and local governments.  Source:  http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/ada.html

• On July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) --the world's first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities.
• Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment (Title I), in public services (Title II), in public accommodations (Title III) and in telecommunications (Title IV)
• The ADA has been described as the Emancipation Proclamation for the disability community.

5.     Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities who work in the    federal government.  Source:  http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/rehab.html

6.     Civil Rights Act of 1991, which, among other things, provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination.
Source:  http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/cra91.html

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