Key Terms
Purpose
Eliminate the wage gap between men and women. Applies to: ALL employers.
Enforcement mechanism
Victims can file directly in federal court. No EEOC complaint required first (unlike Title VII).
Stat to know
In 1963, women earned ~59 cents per dollar men earned. By 2019, that rose to ~79 cents.
Applies to
Employers with 15 or more employees. Protects: Qualified individuals with disabilities.
Covered discriminatory acts include
Refusal to hire, failure to compensate fully, denial of advancement, demotion, temporary layoff, termination, or any oth
Race discrimination
Unfavorable treatment based on race or characteristics associated with race (hair texture, skin color, facial features).
Also covered
Treating someone unfavorably because they are associated with or married to a person of a certain race or color.
Protected
Anyone with sincerely held religious OR moral beliefs. Covers major religions and smaller groups (e.g., Native American
Employer obligation
Must reasonably accommodate religious beliefs/practices unless doing so causes undue hardship on business operations. Co
Bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ)
The only legal basis for sex-based job restrictions. Customer preference and market reality are NOT valid BFOQ justifica
Family responsibility discrimination
Illegal to assume female employees with children are less committed or want fewer hours. These protections extend to men
Covers
Unfavorable treatment based on where a person is from (specific nation or region) or ethnicity. Foreign accent: Cannot b
Definition
Any change or adjustment to the work environment that allows a disabled worker to perform essential job functions or enj
How to prove
Statistics alone are not enough. The plaintiff must also show they were personally harmed by the discriminatory practice
Example
A hiring manager refuses to consider women for a role because he does not want to deal with maternity leave.