There are many different protected classes, such as race, religion, age, gender or national origin. These are just a few examples, but employers are not allowed to discriminate based on these protected classes. They can’t use these traits to determine who they are going to hire or who is going to get a promotion, for instance.
One thing to note, however, is that you may face discrimination even though you are technically not in one of these protected classes. If the employer believes that you are, they could still violate your rights.
How would this happen?
This often happens when employers fall victim to stereotypes. They make assumptions about other people based on the way that they look or where they come from.
For instance, say that your family is originally from the Middle East, so that is your ethnic or national background. You apply for a job, and you are denied when the employer says that they’re not going to hire you because they only hire Christian workers. They’re not interested in hiring someone who follows the Islamic faith, the employer explains, because it doesn’t fit with their company culture.
But here’s the thing: You’re not even Islamic to start with. You simply have physical features that make it clear that your family is from the Middle East, and your employer is stereotyping and assuming that everyone from the Middle East is Muslim. They are then discriminating against you based on a religion that you do not even follow.
This type of discrimination is still illegal. It can be very frustrating and can be problematic for your career. If it happens, make sure you know what legal options you have.