Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 This act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin and gender in employment. Title VII has been used with some success to win pay increases for people who are underpaid because their jobs are primarily filled by women, such as secretaries, nurses and librarians. Due to historical discrimination, these jobs are often paid less than jobs filled primarily by men that require similar levels of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions. Claims under Title VII must be filed with the EEOC within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act. To date, courts have generally applied Title VII fairly narrowly to situations in which the jobs done by men and women were different, but similar.
Many states have their own version of Title VII anti-discrimination laws.
In states or localities that have their own anti-discrimination laws, charges must be filed with the appropriate state or local agency. In these jurisdictions, charges may then be filed with the EEOC within 300 days of the alleged discriminatory act, or 30 days after receiving notice that the state or local agency has finished processing the charges, whichever is earlier. These laws are important because they allow plaintiffs to pursue their cases in either state or federal court. Several states and localities have also enacted laws that require the jurisdiction to study pay disparities between men and women, and implement pay equity. Most of these laws apply only to the employees of the jurisdiction.