It is illegal to discriminate against an employee or applicant because he/she belongs to any of the following “protected classes:” race (including Caucasian), ethnicity, gender, age (40 and over), religion, and disability. Except for race and ethnicity discrimination, the federal employment discrimination laws apply only to employers who have 15 or more employees, and 20 or more for age discrimination. There is no minimum number of employees for claims of race or ethnicity discrimination.