Only if a characteristic is specifically listed in an antidiscrimination law is it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of that characteristic.

Federal laws. Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, pregnancy, national origin (including affiliation with a Native American tribe), religion, disability, citizenship status, and age (if the person is at least 40 years old). To learn more about the federal antidiscrimination laws, see Federal Antidiscrimination Laws.

Note: You will not see sexual harassment mentioned under a federal antidiscrimination law because it is a type of gender discrimination. It is any offensive conduct related to an employee's gender that a reasonable woman or man should not have to endure (specifically, an unwelcome sexual advance or conduct on the job that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment). To learn more about sexual harassment, see Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.

State and local laws. State and local laws often prohibit additional types of discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of marriage, sexual orientation, and weight. (For example, fifteen states prohibit private employers from making employment decisions based on sexual orientation, as do many county and municipal governments. For more information, see Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Workplace.) To learn more about your state and local laws, contact your state fair employment office.

If you have a really small business -- with only one to three employees -- you do not have to worry about the vast majority of antidiscrimination laws. The major exception to this general rule is the federal Equal Pay Act, which applies to virtually all employers, regardless of size. For a description of the Equal Pay Act, see Federal Antidiscrimination Laws.

In addition, there might be a local ordinance or state law that does apply to you (although the majority of these laws applies only to employers with five or more employees). To investigate your state laws, contact your state fair employment practices agency; ask your local government for information on municipal or county ordinances.

The most important thing to do is to take the complaint seriously, no matter how angry it makes you or how fictional you think the complaint is. Investigate the complaint thoroughly and, if you find any merit to the complaint, remedy the situation as quickly as possible. For practical strategies to avoid workplace discrimination complaints, get The Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination, by Deborah C. England (Nolo). For more information about handling complaints of discrimination, see Guidelines for Handling Discrimination and Harassment Complaints.

Do not discipline or demote the employee who complains. Most antidiscrimination laws contain a provision that forbids employers to retaliate against employees who assert their rights to a workplace free of discrimination. Both firing and discipline constitute retaliation, as do lesser actions. To learn more about what constitutes retaliation and how to avoid it, see Preventing Retaliation Claims by Employees.

It depends on the purpose and scope of the rule. An employer may be able to prohibit on-duty employees from speaking any language other than English if it can show that the rule is necessary for business reasons. If your company has an English-only rule, you must tell employees when they have to speak English (for example, whenever customers are present) and the consequences of breaking the rule.

For information on national origin discrimination, including the rules on English-only rules and accent discrimination, see Avoiding Discrimination Based on Race and National Origin.