Sex or gender discrimination as it often referred to involves treating an applicant or a current employee unfavorably on the basis of their sex. Despite laws prohibiting this type of discrimination being on the books for decades, the problem is still pervasive. According a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center 42% of working women 42% in the United States say they have faced discrimination on the job because of their gender. Do you know how to identify the signs of gender discrimination? Here are a few things you can look for.
Title VII, the Equal Pay Act, and THRA Protections Against Gender Discrimination
A number of Federal laws prohibit employment discrimination based on an employee’s sex. Most importantly, at the federal level, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlaws workplace discriminate on the basis of an employee’s gender. With regard to discrimination manifesting in unequal pay between men and women, The Equal Pay Act of 1963 makes it illegal to pay different wages to men and women if they perform equal work in the same workplace. At the state level, the Tennessee Human Rights Act, similar to federal law, prohibits employment practices that discriminate against applicants and employees based on their sex.
Signs of Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
Some of the most common forms of gender discrimination involve an employer making hiring, firing, pay, job assignment, promotion, layoff, training, benefit, or any other work-related decision in which one gender is favored over another.
Other forms of discrimination can include harassment on the basis of a person’s gender. Harassment can include, offensive or derogatory remarks related to a person’s gender that is done frequently or are so severe that it creates a hostile work environment.
Other forms of discrimination can include creating employment policies or practices that either intentionally discriminate against a particular gender or unintentionally have a negative impact on applicants or employees of a particular gender.