The Civil Rights Act of 1963 and the Equal Pay Act prohibit employers in Iowa from discriminating on the basis of gender. As such, employers may not use make any determinations based on gender in any areas such as wage amounts, hiring, and promotion requirements. They are also required to make sure that the working environment is neither hostile to a particular gender nor overtly sexual.

What Must be Proven in a Discrimination Claim?

Under the Equal Pay act, discrimination can be proven if men and women both work in the same place, do the same job, but are still paid differently. Employers in Vinton can also be held liable in a discrimination claim if their hiring and promotion policies favor one gender, or if the they take retaliatory action against a worker who files a complaint against their employer.

When is Sexual Harassment Prohibited?

Physical or verbal acts of a sexual nature that are unwelcome to the victim are considered to be sexual harassment. A Vinton employer could be held liable for the unwelcome conduct, even if it was an employee's co-worker who engaged in the sexual harassment.

Iowa employers can also be held liable for sexual harassment if it allows conduct that leads to an overly sexual work environment. Without a lawyer, it can be difficult to prove gender discrimination because the details in proving intent are often complicated. Additionally, there can be specific procedures that must be closely followed in pursuing a claim.