Circuit Employment Discrimination Laws

Several federal laws prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and age. However, these laws do not protect employees from other types of discrimination, such as sexual orientation, height and weight, parental status, marital status, and political affiliation. Many state and local enactments step in where federal laws leave off to prohibit these additional forms of employment discrimination. These circuit employment discrimination laws are enforced by Fair Employment Practice Agencies (FEPAs) around the nation.

Fair Employment Practice Agencies and circuit employment discrimination

More than 100 state and local FEPAs in the United States work together with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce all federal employment discrimination laws in conjunction with circuit employment discrimination laws. In cases where both local and federal anti-discrimination laws have allegedly been violated, the agencies will file dual charges against the employer. To locate a FEPA near you, contact your EEOC office. Your local FEPA can inform you of the circuit employment discrimination laws in your area and tell you how to file a claim. In most cases, the process involves filling out a simple questionnaire with generic personal information and the nature of your claim.