Key Takeaways. A protected class is a group of people sharing a common trait who are legally protected from being discriminated against on the basis of that trait. Examples of protected traits include race, gender, age, disability, and veteran status.
What is considered a protected class?
Protected Class: The groups protected from the employment discrimination by law. These groups include men and women on the basis of sex; any group which shares a common race, religion, color, or national origin; people over 40; and people with physical or mental handicaps.
What are the 7 protected classes?
At the federal level, there are seven classes: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and handicap (referred to as disability in California).
What are 4 examples of protected classes?
Federal protected classes include:
- Race.
- Color.
- Religion or creed.
- National origin or ancestry.
- Sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity).
- Age.
- Physical or mental disability.
- Veteran status.
What are the 14 protected categories?
Applicants, employees and former employees are protected from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability and genetic information (including family medical history).
What are the 12 protected characteristics?
Protected characteristics
These are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Is everyone in a protected class?
Because there are lots of different laws, everyone is a member of at least one of the groups protected. For example, both men and women are members of a protected class because both men and women can take legal action if they are unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of their gender.
What are the five original protected classes?
The seventh amendment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, outlines five major protected classes: race, color, religion, sex and national origin. There are now also protections for physical or mental disability, reprisal and, most recently added, sexual orientation.
What is not protected under the Fair Housing Act?
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to harass persons because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.
Is obesity a protected class?
Sometimes, under the ADA. Discriminating against or terminating an employee because he or she is overweight is generally not unlawful. Weight is not a protected class under Title VII, however, weight can be a characteristic of a medical condition.
What groups are not protected under Title VII?
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in virtually every employment circumstance on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, or national origin. In general, Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
What can you not discriminate against?
Under the laws enforced by EEOC, it is illegal to discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.