State and federal laws recognize that discrimination is unlawful when people are:
- Treated unfairly in employment based on one or more legally protected categories, or
- Subject to illegal harassment at work, or
- Retaliated against for exercising their rights under workplace discrimination laws.
Vermont’s Fair Employment Practices Act (FEPA) makes it an “unlawful employment practice” for an employer to discriminate against a person based on:
- Age
- Ancestry
- Color
- Crime Victim status (not recognized for protection under federal law)
- Disability
- Gender Identity
- Health insurance coverage status (not recognized for protection under federal law)
- HIV+ Status
- National Origin
- Place of Birth
- Race
- Religion
- Sex
- Sexual Orientation
- Association with a member of a legally protected category listed above
These are considered “legally protected categories.”