{"id":4760,"date":"2016-04-04T10:47:41","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/smallbusiness\/employment-law-and-human-resources\/sex-gender-discrimination.html"},"modified":"2024-06-06T04:38:32","modified_gmt":"2024-06-06T09:38:32","slug":"sex-gender-discrimination","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/employment-law-and-human-resources\/sex-gender-discrimination.html","title":{"rendered":"Avoiding Sex Discrimination in Your Small Business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Avoiding Sex Discrimination in Your Small Business<\/h1>\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Susan Mills Richmond, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Small business owners need their companies to operate with minimal problems. That means co-workers must get along and behave with courtesy\u00a0to one another. Despite laws against employment discrimination, sex and gender discrimination remain in the workplace.<\/p>\r\n

Employers are responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws. Offices and job sites function better when everyone treats one another with respect.<\/p>\r\n

Federal and state laws<\/a>\u00a0prohibit sex discrimination, but it can be difficult for a small business owner to know what that means. If all your employees get the same pay, work the same hours, and share the same work environment, can you still have discrimination?<\/p>\r\n

In a word, yes. Discrimination and harassment are about employment practices beyond pay. This article discusses workplace discrimination and how small business owners can prevent it.<\/p>\r\n

What Is Sex Discrimination?<\/h2>\r\n

Sex discrimination is unequal treatment based on an unequal perception of sex. It could be as blatant as thinking \u201ca woman’s place is in the home," or as subtle as thinking that there are some jobs women do better than men. When employers base working conditions, pay, or job opportunities on gender, it’s sex discrimination.<\/p>\r\n

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964<\/a>\u00a0prohibits employment discrimination based on race, religion, gender, or national origin. Recent court cases, such as\u00a0Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia<\/a>, have held that Title VII applies to:<\/p>\r\n