EEOC

• The EEOC exists to help employees enforce their rights to equal employment. At any time you can submit a complaint to the EEOC and the EEOC will investigate your complaint to see if your rights have been violated. You can use the link provided int he Resources section to find contact information for the EEOC.
  
  

General Discrimination

• The crux of equal employment and labor law is the principle that employers cannot unfairly discriminate against employees. This does not mean an employer cannot fire you. In fact, an employer can fire you for any legitimate reason, or for no reason at all. However, an employer cannot fire you for certain prohibited reasons, including disability, age, race, gender, national origin or religion.
  
  

Disability Discrimination

• Your employer cannot discriminate against you because you are disabled. This right is guaranteed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA). The ADA even protects potential employees, which means if you are disabled and you apply for a job, the potential employer cannot deny you the job because of your disability (assuming you are otherwise qualified for the job). Similarly, if you have a job already, your employer can't fire you because of your disability.
  
  

Race, Religion, Gender and National Origin

• Similar to the ADA is the Civil Rights act of 1964 which prohibits employers from discriminating because of race, religion, gender or national origin. This means your boss can't fire you because of your skin color, or because you are a woman. Like the ADA, the Civil Rights Act also protects potential employees who apply for a job.
  
  

Age Discrimination

• Another similar equal employment opportunity law is the ADEA, or Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The ADEA shares the same common theme as the ADA and the Civil Rights Act, which is the prevention of discrimination. Specifically, the ADEA prohibits an employer or potential employer from discriminating on the basis of age. This means you can't be fired just because you are older or younger than other employees.
  
  

Right to Fair and Equal Pay

• Two separate federal laws provide equal employment opportunity by requiring employers to fairly and equally pay employees. The Fair Labor Standards Act, referred to as the FLSA, establishes a minimum wage that, as of July 24, 2009, is $6.55, and as of July 24, 2010, is $7.25. The other law, called the Equal Pay Act, requires that employers pay employees equally for equal jobs regardless of gender.