Everyone will have at least one job in their life, and it is very important to know how to recognize discrimination so that you can seek the appropriate help when needed. Discrimination in the workplace can happen to anyone, and that's why people need to know the laws that protect employees from discrimination, ways employers can prevent discrimination, and the effects of discrimination in the workplace. Three major laws that protect employees are Title VII. of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans with Disability Act. Title VII prohibits refusal to hire or fire anyone because of race, sex, national origin, color, or religion. This law applies to any business with 15 or more employees, as well as government, labor, and employment agencies (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2012). Title VII also includes issues of harassment, compensation, and advancement based on these categories. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits discrimination against any person who is employed or fired after the age of forty. This law does not protect those under forty and they may be discriminated against because of their age. This law also requires specific record keeping that employers must keep for three years. The information required is name, address and date of birth, occupation, pay rate and earnings earned each week. In addition to this information, this information must be retained for one year: job applications, records of promotions: demotions, transfers, layoffs, layoffs, tests and test events, as well as job offers. Some states go beyond the ADEA and provide greater protection for these older workers. Americans with disabilities... middle of paper ... although policies of discrimination have come a long way, it still happens today. Many employers have strict zero-tolerance policies to prevent these types of lawsuits. Additionally, in cases of discrimination, the employee has one hundred and eighty days to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If the employee first files a complaint with his or her employer, this does not affect the EEOC's time requirement (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2012). Works Cited Bennett-Alexander, D.; Hartman, L (2012) Business Labor Law, 7th edition. New York, New York. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Pi-Yu, T.; Kleiner, B. (2001) Reasonable Small Business Support to Prevent Employment Discrimination: Equal Opportunities International 20.5-7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.prx-keiser.lirn.net/docview/199531356/141C90F559D461C1D51/1?accountid=35796