Laws and Regulations

Executive Order (EO) 11246
U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has been committed to ensuring that Government contractors comply with the equal employment opportunity (EEO) and the affirmative action provisions of their contracts. The contractors are prohibited from discriminating against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Such action shall include, but not be limited to the following: employment, upgrading, demotion, or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training, including apprenticeship.

The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRA)
Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act, requires that employers with Federal contracts or subcontracts of $25,000 or more provide equal opportunity and affirmative action for Vietnam era veterans, special disabled veterans, and veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions constitutes unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII.  Women affected by pregnancy or related conditions must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations. An employer cannot refuse to hire a woman because of her pregnancy related condition as long as she is able to perform the major functions of her job.  An employer cannot refuse to hire her because of its prejudices against pregnant workers or the prejudices of co-workers, clients or customers.

Title IX, of the Education Amendments of 1972
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.  This law applies to educational institutions both public and private, but not to private employers.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1990 (IRCA)
Requires employers to hire only U.S. citizens, Nationals of the United States, or Aliens who are authorized to work in the United States.  The law requires every employer to verify the employment eligibility of every employee hired.  Employers are not to discriminate against individuals on the basis of national origin or citizenship.

Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.  Employers are forbidden by Title VII form discriminating against any individual on a prohibited basis with respect to “compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment,” or in recruiting, referring, hiring, or classifying applicants or members.

The Civil Rights Act of 1991 (CRA)
To amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to strengthen and improve Federal civil rights laws, to provide for damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination, to clarify provisions regarding disparate impact actions, and for other purposes. 

The Equal Pay Act of 1963
Prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in the payment of wages or benefits, where men and women perform work of similar skill, effort, and responsibility for the same employer under similar working conditions.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
It shall be unlawful for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's age.

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has had coordinating authority under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibits job discrimination by employers, with 15 or more employees, against qualified individuals with disabilities in private sector, and in state and local governments.  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has primary authority for enforcing the ADA.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires federal contractors and subcontractors with Government contracts in excess of $10,000, to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.

Kentucky Law

Kentucky Civil Rights Act -  Prohibits employment practices that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, or age, or because the person is a smoker or nonsmoker, as long as the person complies with workplace policy pertaining to smoking (KY Rev. Stat. Sec. 344.010 et seq.).  The Act covers employers with eight or more employees.  It specifically states that employers are not required to grant preferential treatment to any group just because the group is underrepresented in the employer's workforce.