Equal Employment Opportunity

* prohibits discrimination in hiring; compensation; and terms, conditions or privileges of employment based on race, religion, color, sex, or national origin. * Applies to organizations with 15 or more employees.

* prohibits discrimination against persons 40-65 * amended in 1978 to increase upper limit 40-70 * amended in 1986 to emove upper limit 40 and older * firm cannot force retirement or replace productive older workers with younger workers

* established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate discrimination claims & bring law suits against organizations allegedly violating employment laws

* requires companies receiving $2500 or more in federal contracts to recruit, employ & advance qualified disabled persons

* companies cannot make employment decisions based on pregnancy * must treat pregnancy as any other short-term disability * if the firm pays health care for other disabilities it must do the same for pregnncy & maternity

* extends the protections of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act * requires companies to make reasonable accommodations for the disabled * includes persons with AIDS & other contagious diseases * covers private companies & all public service organizations

* organizations with 50 or more employees must allow workers 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for childbirth, adoption, own illness or illness of a family member

* prohibits racial harassment * returns burden of proof to the employer * permits women & religious minorities to seek punitive damages in intentional discriminatory claims * reinforced the illegality of making hiring, firing or promotion decisions based on race, ethnicity, sex, or religion

* prohibits discrimination in federal agencies & contractors based on race, color, religion

* added sex to E.O. 11246

* mandates that employment practices in the federal government must be based on merit & not political affiliation, marital status or physical disability

* job criteria, including a high school diploma & employment tests must be job related * burden of proof was placed on the employer (defendant)

* clarified methods of using & validating tests in selection process tests should be validated for jobs similar to those for which they will be used

* statistics alone could not support evidence of discrimination * burden of proof shifted to the plaintiff (employee/applicant)

* a school cannot set asides seats for minorities