Discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national origin, and/or religion

Under federal law, it is unlawful for an employer to “discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(1). Both Oregon and Arizona law also make such discrimination illegal, with Oregon also outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. An employer, by law, cannot terminate an employee, nor can they take against an employee any adverse action, based on these characteristics. It is also illegal to create a hostile work environment for an employee based on one of the characteristics. An employee who believes he/she has been the subject of such discrimination must, if they want to pursue a claim under Title VII and/or Arizona state law, file with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission a charge of discrimination. An employee in Oregon who has been the target of such discrimination has the option of filing an administrative charge or proceeding directly to court.