Multiculturalism and the Law

This text explores the laws against discrimination and how they are enforced. You will read about legal protections against discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and retaliation.

EEOC Federal Legislation

While the EEOC is the larger governing body, many pieces of legislation relating to multicultural practices are part of the EEOC family of laws. Many of these laws began with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. This act, enforced by the EEOC, covers several areas in which discrimination was rampant. However, a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) is a quality or attribute employers are allowed to consider when making decisions during the selection process. Examples of BFOQs are a maximum age limit for airline pilots for safety reasons and a Christian college's requirement that the president of the college be Christian.

EEOC laws relate specifically to the following:

  1. Age
  2. Disability
  3. Equal pay
  4. Genetic information
  5. National origin
  6. Pregnancy
  7. Race/color
  8. Religion
  9. Retaliation
  10. Sex
  11. Sexual harassment