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What are the "protected classes" under discrimination law?

Federal and state anti-discrimination laws prohibit discrimination based on your membership in a "protected class."  Protected classes include race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age (over 40), pregnancy, disability, and perceived disability.

In addition to these federally protected classes, Massachusetts employment law prohibits discriminating on the basis of:

• Gender Identity 
• Sexual Orientation 
• Genetic Information
• Ancestry
  

Being "protected" does not make you immune from termination, but it does mean that if you raise a question about discrimination based on one of these characteristics, your employer will need to demonstrate a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for its actions. 

You could be in more than one protected class, and in fact many people are.  The discriminatory motive could be based on just one, or on a combination.  For example, if you are older and have a medical condition, the underlying issue could be both age and disability. 

Learn more here about employment discrimination in Massachusetts.

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