Anti-Discrimination Legislation

 

There are a number of major laws that protect state employees from unlawful discriminatory practices.  

 

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, color, religion, national origin, and retaliation. Applies to employers with 15 or more employees. 

Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code

Chapter 21 prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, and genetic information.

Equal Pay Act of 1963

Protects men and women who perform substantially equal work from sex-based wage discrimination.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

Protects employees and job applicants who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, solely by reason of his or her disability...shall be excluded from...denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990

Gives civil rights protection to qualified individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion.

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008

Prohibits employers from treating employees and applicants unfairly because of genetic differences. State law also prohibits discriminatory use of genetic information.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978

States if a woman is temporarily unable to perform her job due to a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, the employer or covered entity must treat her in the same way as it treats any other temporarily disabled employee.