Utah Employment Law
Employment Discrimination
Lawyer Utah
Workplace discrimination based on race, sex, age, disability, religion, or national origin is illegal under federal and Utah law. Stavros Law P.C. represents employees who have been treated unfairly because of who they are.
Protected characteristics
Who is protected from workplace discrimination?
Federal and Utah law protect employees from discrimination based on the following characteristics. If an adverse employment action was taken against you because of any of these, you may have a claim.
Race & national origin
Title VII and the Utah Antidiscrimination Act prohibit discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in all aspects of employment.
Sex & pregnancy
Sex discrimination includes pregnancy discrimination, unequal pay, and gender stereotyping. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (2023) adds new accommodation rights.
Age (40+)
The ADEA protects employees 40 and older from discrimination in hiring, promotion, pay, and termination. Age bias is especially common in layoffs and RIFs.
Disability
The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations and prohibits adverse actions based on a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.
Religion
Employers must reasonably accommodate sincerely held religious beliefs and practices unless doing so would cause undue hardship.
Sexual orientation & gender identity
The Supreme Court's Bostock v. Clayton County decision (2020) extended Title VII protections to LGBTQ employees. The Utah Antidiscrimination Act also expressly covers sexual orientation and gender identity.
Utah-specific law
The legal framework for discrimination claims in Utah
The Utah Antidiscrimination Act (Utah Code § 34A-5-101 et seq.) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, age (40+), religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity. It applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
Employees must file a charge with the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division (UALD) or the EEOC within 300 days of the discriminatory act before filing a lawsuit. The UALD and EEOC have a worksharing agreement, so filing with one automatically cross-files with the other.
Federal protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the ADA, and the ADEA apply to employers with 15 or more employees (25 for ADEA). These statutes provide the right to sue in federal court after receiving a right-to-sue letter from the EEOC.
The Supreme Court's 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County confirmed that Title VII's prohibition on sex discrimination covers discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, extending federal protection to LGBTQ employees nationwide.
Common questions
Employment discrimination FAQ
What laws protect Utah employees from workplace discrimination?
Federal laws (Title VII, ADA, ADEA, Pregnancy Discrimination Act) and the Utah Antidiscrimination Act (Utah Code § 34A-5-101) protect employees from discrimination based on race, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
What counts as employment discrimination?
Adverse employment actions — termination, demotion, pay cuts, failure to promote, denial of training, or a hostile work environment — taken because of a protected characteristic.
How do I prove discrimination?
Through direct evidence (discriminatory statements) or circumstantial evidence under the McDonnell Douglas framework — showing you were treated differently than similarly situated employees outside your protected class and that the employer's stated reason is pretextual.
What is the filing deadline?
You must file a charge with the EEOC or Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division (UALD) within 300 days of the discriminatory act. Missing this deadline bars your claims.
Can I be discriminated against based on age?
Yes. The ADEA and Utah Antidiscrimination Act protect employees 40 and older. Age bias is especially common in layoffs and reduction-in-force situations.
What damages can I recover?
Back pay, front pay, reinstatement, compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages in egregious cases, and attorney's fees.
Does Stavros Law take discrimination cases on contingency?
Yes. Most employee-side cases are handled on contingency — no attorney's fees unless we recover for you. Contact us for a free case evaluation.
No fee unless we win
Facing discrimination at work?
Stavros Law P.C. offers free case evaluations for employment discrimination claims. We handle most employee-side cases on contingency.
Related: Employee Rights · Wrongful Termination · Sexual Harassment
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