EMPLOyER'S PRACTICAL LEGAL GUIDE Plain Language About ...

1.2 Employer’s Practical Legal GuideDiscrimination in Employment Act of 1967 protects individ ualswho are 40 or older. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990protects qualified disabled individuals from discrimination andmandates that employers provide reasonable accommodations fortheir disabilities. The Genetic Information Non dis crimi nation Actbars employers from using an employee’s genetic information inany employment decisions.The Family and Medical Leave Act provides up to 12 weeksof unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, the serioushealth condition of an employee or an immediate family member,as well as military-related leave for employees who have familymembers in the armed services or reserves. The UniformedServices Employment and Reemployment Rights Act protectsindividuals who are members of the reserves or National Guardfrom discrimination based on their service status and protectstheir rights to be rehired after they have completed their activedutyservice.If you employ more than 15 full or part-time workers, youare required to comply with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, thePregnancy Discrimination Act and the Americans with Dis abilitiesAct. You are covered by the Age Discrimination in EmploymentAct if you employ more than 20 workers. The Equal Pay Actapplies to all organizations covered by the Fair Labor StandardsAct, which includes virtually all employers.Most federal employment discrimination laws are enforcedby the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC),while most federal wage-and-hour laws are enforced by the LaborDepartment. In addition, most states have their own departmentsof labor and equal employment commissions as well as laws thatparallel federal ones or offer even greater protection for workers.Often, these state laws cover employers with fewer workers thando the federal laws.Clearly, to stay out of court, organizations must make it theirbusiness to understand federal, state and local laws. But everyyear, thousands of employers learn the hard way. In 2013 alone,employers paid out $372 million to settle EEOC claims. And that’sjust the tip of the iceberg. That figure does not include the millionsawarded by juries in cases that went on to trial.