Key Definitions

Before we continue, click each term below to reveal its definition. These terms will be used throughout this course.

+ Discrimination

+ Harassment

+ Sexual Harassment

+ Retaliation

Discrimination

Discrimination is the unfair or unequal treatment of an individual or a group of individuals based on their characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental handicap.

It includes any reprisal that adversely affects privileges, benefits, working conditions, results in disparate treatment, or has a disparate impact on employees or applicants.

Some regions prohibit discrimination based on other protected characteristics as well.

Harassment

Harassment (a form of employment discrimination) is unwelcome conduct that is based on protected characteristics (or class).

Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.

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Protected Characteristics (or Class)

The groups protected from unlawful employment discrimination.
Applicants, employees, and former employees are protected from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, and genetic information (including family medical history).

Some regions have legislation prohibiting harassment and discrimination based on other characteristics (or classes) or against other categories of individuals, including volunteers and independent contractors.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

Sexual harassment includes harassment on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, self-identified or perceived sex, gender expression, gender identity, and the status of being transgender.

Retaliation

Retaliation is any action taken to alter an employee’s terms and conditions of employment (such as a demotion, or a sudden work schedule or location change) because that individual was involved in reporting, testifying, or otherwise assisting in a complaint of harassment or discrimination.

Individuals engaging in these protected activities should expect to be free from any negative actions by supervisors, managers, fellow employees, or the employer motivated by these protected activities.

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Protected Activity

Protected Activity with regard to harassment includes:

  • Making a complaint to a supervisor, manager, or another person designated by your employer to receive complaints about harassment,
  • Making a report of suspected harassment, even if you are not the target of harassment,
  • Filing a formal complaint about harassment whether internally or to a government agency,
  • Opposing discrimination,
  • Assisting another employee who is complaining of harassment or discrimination, and
  • Providing information during a workplace investigation of or testifying in connection with a complaint of harassment or discrimination filed with a government agency or in court.

For a complete list of definitions, check the course glossary glossary icon.