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The Global Insight

What are the employment laws that impact human resources?

Author

Robert Miller

Updated on February 10, 2026

Workplace Discrimination Laws Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) Equal Pay Act (EPA) Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA)

How does the law affect human resource management?

A number of federal laws (listed in (Figure)) affect human resource management. Federal law prohibits discrimination based on age, race, gender, color, national origin, religion, or disability. The law gives workers the right to form and join labor unions and obligates the employer to deal with the union fairly.

How does the EEOC affect human resources?

HR managers can protect the company against discrimination lawsuits by understanding discrimination law and putting policies into place to avoid discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the laws against discrimination in the workplace.

What are the benefits of equal employment opportunity?

5 Advantages of Equal Employment Opportunity

  • Promotes Diversity. People of various backgrounds, ethnicities, races, genders, etc., make up an organization’s workforce.
  • Right Developmental Opportunities.
  • Good Organizational Reputation.
  • Elevated Employee Engagement.
  • Provides a Vast Pool of Talents.

How does HR protect employees from discrimination?

Write and enforce clear workplace policies that prevent discrimination. Provide training on the policies for all employees. Ensure that supervisors and managers are aware of their roles and responsibilities in the complaint process.

HR law affects all aspects of human resource management. HR professionals must stay informed of changes in the law. It is the duty of HR to proactively review and update internal policies to ensure workplace compliance.

Are there any laws that affect your job?

There are occupational safety and health regulations that impact working conditions. There are tax laws that affect compensation, including employee profit sharing and stock purchase plans. Additionally, there are HR discrimination and harassment laws that are more important than ever in the current #metoo climate.

What do HR professionals need to know about discrimination?

1. Workplace Discrimination Among the most important legislation for HR professionals to know, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws protect against the discrimination of any individual based on age, disability, genetic information, national origin, race/color, sex, pregnancy, or religion.

What kind of laws do HR professionals need to know?

HR professionals should be familiar with the individual laws that safeguard these protected classes of individuals such as: 1 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 2 Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) 3 Equal Pay Act (EPA) 4 Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) More …