Knowra Employment discrimination Employment discrimination Employment discrimination is unfavorable treatment in hiring, pay, promotion, or working conditions because of a legally protected characteristic. Its definition and remedies depend on the applicable law.
Disparate treatment : Disparate treatment is intentional unfavorable treatment because of a protected characteristic. It captures direct unequal treatment, such as rejecting an equally qualified applicant because of race.
Protected class : A protected class is a group defined by a characteristic that applicable law shields from specified forms of discrimination. Employment protections attach to characteristics designated by the governing statute or jurisdiction.
Glass ceiling : The glass ceiling is an informal barrier that limits advancement of women and other groups into senior positions. It describes career-wide advancement barriers rather than a single hiring or pay decision.
Pay gap : A pay gap is a difference in average earnings between groups, shaped by multiple individual, occupational, and structural factors. Group-level pay gaps can signal unequal treatment but do not alone prove an individual legal violation.
Workplace bullying : Workplace bullying is repeated mistreatment at work, which may or may not be tied to a legally protected characteristic. Bullying can be harmful without meeting the legal elements of discrimination.
Disparate impact : Disparate impact occurs when a seemingly neutral practice disproportionately harms a protected group without sufficient legal justification. It addresses exclusion produced by employment rules that do not explicitly classify workers.
Adverse employment action : An adverse employment action is a significant negative change in employment status, benefits, or conditions under the applicable legal test. A claimant generally must identify a harmful workplace decision or condition.
Equal pay : Equal pay is compensation equality for work assessed as equal or comparable under a relevant legal or policy standard. Pay disparities are a prominent form of employment discrimination, though the governing comparison rules vary.
Workplace diversity : Workplace diversity is the range of social identities and backgrounds represented among an organization's workers. Discrimination can restrict who is hired, retained, and advanced, changing workforce representation.
Affirmative action : Affirmative action comprises policies intended to address underrepresentation or past discrimination through targeted measures. It concerns remedial or inclusion-oriented policies, not simply the prohibition of discriminatory treatment.
Show all 28