See Americans with Disabilities Act . Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion or national origin. This law applies to public employers and private employers with at least 15 employees, employment agencies, apprenticeship programs and unions. 42 U.S.C. section 1981 prohibits all race discrimination in all contracts, even between individuals. The coverage of the ADEA is similar to Title VII except that a private employer needs 20 employees to be covered.
Most states prohibit employment discrimination on the same basis as federal law.
Several state laws and some local laws also protect against discrimination because of marital status, sexual orientation or preference. Making a Claim Anti-discrimination law is generally based on either federal statutes, state statutes, or the Constitution. See Civil Rights Law. In order to make a claim under most of these statutes, it is necessary to file a complaint or charge of discrimination with an administrative agency of the government. The exact time limits to make a claim are complicated because they depend on whether the state in which the alleged discrimination occurred has an effective law prohibiting such discrimination.