Statutes - Employment Discrimination Law - Employment & Labor Law Research - Website at University of Washington Law Library

Federal & State Statutes, Local Ordinances

Employment discrimination is often covered by both federal and state statutes.

Cities and counties also enact ordinances covering some aspects of employment discrimination.

The laws may cover different employers. For example, Title VII covers employers with at least 15 employees; the Washington Law Against Discrimination covers employers with at least 8 employees (excluding religious and nonprofit employers). The King County law covers employers in unincorporated King County with at least 8 employees (excluding religious and nonprofit employers and all governments but King County itself).

Selected Federal Statutes - Employment Discrimination Law

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Pub.L. 88–352, 78 Stat. 241, codified at 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e –2000e17

Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), Pub.L. 95–555, 92 Stat. 2076 (1978), codified at 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(k)

Equal Pay Act of 1963, Pub.L. 88–38, June 10, 1963, 77 Stat. 56, codified at 29 U.S.C. § 206

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), Pub.L. 90–202, Dec. 15, 1967, 81 Stat. 602, codified at 29 U.S.C. §§ 621–634

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Pub.L. 101–336, July 26, 1990, 104 Stat. 327, codified at 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101–12213

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, Pub.L. 110–233, May 21, 2008, 122 Stat. 881, codified at 42 USC §§ 300gg-53, 26 U.S.C. § 9834, 42 U.S.C. §§ 200ff–200ff-11.

Laws Enforced by the EEOC [EEOC]
Includes Title VII, ADEA, and Title I of ADA.
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- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Pregnancy Discrimination Act
- Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)
- Age Discrimination Act of 1967 (ADEA)
- Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
- Sections 102 and 103 of the Civil Rights Act of 1991
- Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA)

Selected Washington Statutes - Employment Discrimination Law

Law Against Discrimination, RCW 49.60. Protects against discrimination on the basis of " race, creed, color, national origin, sex, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability." RCW 49.60.030(1).

Selected Ordinances - Employment Discrimination Law

Seattle Fair Employment Practices Ordinance
Seattle Muni. Code ch. 14
Protects against employment discrimination "based upon race, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, political ideology, age, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical handicap." SMC 14.04.040(C).
King County Fair Employment Practices
King County Code chapter 12.18.
Covers discrimination "on the basis of race, color, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability or use of a service or assistive animal by an individual with a disability." 12.18.010.

Types of Discrimination Covered: Federal, State, Local

	Federal Laws	Washington Law Against Discrimination	Seattle Fair Employment Practices Ordinance	King County Fair Employment Practices Ordinance
race	Title VII	✔	✔	✔
color	Title VII	✔	✔	✔
religion	Title VII		✔	✔
creed		✔	✔
sex	Title VII	✔	✔
gender				✔
national origin	Title VII	✔	✔
pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions	Title VII
age	ADEA	✔	✔	✔
marital status		✔	✔	✔
sexual orientation		✔	✔	✔
honorably discharged veteran or military status	see this Dept of Labor page	✔	✔
disability	ADA	✔	✔	✔
gender identity			✔	✔ (incl. in definition of "sexual orientation")
genetic information	GINA		✔
political ideology			✔
ancestry			✔	✔