Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the primary federal law prohibiting employment discrimination.
What it covers: Discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. After Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), sex discrimination includes sexual orientation and gender identity.
Who it applies to: Employers with 15 or more employees.
What counts as discrimination:
• Disparate treatment — Being treated differently because of a protected characteristic
• Disparate impact — Neutral policies that disproportionately affect a protected group without business necessity
• Hostile work environment — Severe or pervasive harassment based on a protected characteristic
• Retaliation — Adverse action for opposing discrimination or participating in an investigation
How to file: You must first file a Charge of Discrimination with the EEOC within 180 days (300 days if your state has a fair employment agency). The EEOC will investigate and may issue a Right to Sue letter.
Remedies: Back pay, reinstatement, compensatory damages, punitive damages (capped based on employer size), attorney fees.
Sources: 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e – 2000e-17; 42 U.S.C. § 1981a(b)(3) (damage caps); Bostock v. Clayton County, 590 U.S. 644 (2020) (sexual orientation/gender identity coverage); EEOC guidance at eeoc.gov.