- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- Prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin and religion; requires reasonable accommodation for religious observance needs and prohibits retaliation
- Agency: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), https://www.eeoc.gov/
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
- Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of age against employees who are forty (40) years of age and older
- Agency: EEOC, https://www.eeoc.gov/
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Prohibits employment discrimination (1) against qualified individuals with disabilities who can perform essential job function with or without reasonable accommodation, (2) based on a record of a disability (3) based on perceived disability and (4) based on an individual’s association with someone who has a disability
- Agency: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), https://www.eeoc.gov/
- The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)
- Requires that the equal pay be given to men and women doing the same or substantially similar work in terms of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions in the same establishment
- Agency: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), https://www.eeoc.gov/
- Executive Order 11246
- Requires government contractors and subcontractors that satisfy specific monetary and staffing thresholds to take affirmative action to ensure that minorities and women are not subject to workplace discrimination
- Agency: Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Requires government contractors and subcontractors that satisfy specific monetary and staffing thresholds to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities; prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities
- Agencies: Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), https://www.eeoc.gov/
- Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA)
- Requires that covered government contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to ensure that discrimination against certain veterans does not occur
- Agency: Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp
- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
- Prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of genetic information and the use of genetic information to discriminate against participants in health care plans
- Agencies: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), https://www.eeoc.gov/ ; U.S. Department of Labor, https://www.dol.gov/
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Employees who have been employed at least 12 months and have worked at least 1250 hours during that 12 months are entitled to twelve weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave every 12 months when the leave is taken in connection with the birth of a child, adoption of a child, becoming a foster parent, the serious health condition of the employee or the serious health condition of a statutorily-covered family member
- Provides 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave if a covered employee’s spouse, parent or child is on active duty in the military or is a reservist who faces recall to active duty in the event of specific qualifying exigencies
- Provides 26 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave during a single 12-month period to care for family members injured while on active military duty.
- Agency: US Dept. of Labor, Wage & Hour Division, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla
- The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- Requires payment of minimum wage and enhanced pay (time and one-half the employee’s regular rate of pay) for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek and restricts the employment of child labor
- Agency: US Dept. of Labor, Wage & Hour Division , https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd
- Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
- Establishes workplace safety and health standards
- Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) https://www.osha.gov/
- The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
- Provides protections for participants and beneficiaries in employee benefit plans including access to plan information and imposes duties on individuals who manage benefit plans or otherwise act as fiduciaries with respect to benefit plans
- Agency: US Dept. of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa
- National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)
- Protects the rights of employees to organize and join unions, act in concert to protest or attempt to change working conditions and engage in collective bargaining
- Agency: National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), https://www.nlrb.gov/
- Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
- Protects job reinstatement rights and advancement opportunities for employees who are absent from work due to military service.
- Agency: US Dept. of Labor, Veterans & Employment Training Service, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX)
- Prohibits retaliation against employees who participate in internal investigations or government investigations regarding shareholder fraud in publicly-traded companies
- Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) https://www.osha.gov/
- Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN)
- Requires covered employers to provide advance notice of a plant closing or mass layoff to employees, labor organizations and local government officials
- Agency: US Dept. of Labor, Employment & Training Administration, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/layoffs/warn
* In addition to Federal employment laws and agencies, there are New York State and New York State Local employment laws and agencies.
The CWI resources are for employers and employees. They are only provided for general informational purposes and are not a substitute for legal advice.