Employment discrimination

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Employment discrimination is a form of discrimination based on race, gender, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity by employers. Earnings differentials or occupational differentiation—where differences in pay come from differences in qualifications or responsibilities—should not be confused with employment discrimination.

Definition[edit | edit source]

Discrimination can result in unequal opportunity. Employers may not refuse to hire an individual based on their characteristics unrelated to job performance. Individuals who have been discriminated against can file a complaint with the government, and may be entitled to remedial action.

Types of Employment Discrimination[edit | edit source]

There are several types of employment discrimination including:

  • Age Discrimination - This involves treating an applicant or employee less favorably because of his or her age.
  • Disability Discrimination - This involves treating a qualified individual with a disability who is an employee or applicant unfavorably because she has a disability.
  • Genetic Information Discrimination - It is illegal to discriminate against employees or applicants because of genetic information.
  • National Origin Discrimination - It is illegal to discriminate because of a person's birthplace, ancestry, culture or language.
  • Pregnancy Discrimination - This involves treating a woman (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth.
  • Race/Color Discrimination - This involves treating someone unfavorably because he/she is of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race (such as hair texture, skin color, or certain facial features).
  • Religious Discrimination - It involves treating a person (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs.
  • Sex Discrimination - This involves treating someone (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of that person's sex.
  • Sexual Orientation Discrimination - This involves treating a person (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of his or her sexual orientation.

Laws Against Employment Discrimination[edit | edit source]

In many countries, laws have been established to prevent employment discrimination. In the United States, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee.

See Also[edit | edit source]

Employment discrimination Resources
Doctor showing form.jpg
Wiki.png

Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD


Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.

Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.

Contributors: Admin, Prab R. Tumpati, MD