Final answer:
Political beliefs are not a prohibited ground of discrimination under federal legislation according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), unlike sexual orientation, religion, pardoned conviction, or age which are explicitly protected.
Step-by-step explanation:
All of the following are prohibited grounds of discrimination under federal legislation, EXCEPT political beliefs. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), federal laws make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information.
Notably, political beliefs are not explicitly protected under these anti-discrimination laws.Religious discrimination involves treating a person unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs. The law protects people who belong to traditional, organized religions as well as others who have sincerely held religious, ethical, or moral beliefs.
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, discrimination in employment on the basis of race, gender, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation is strictly prohibited. However, political beliefs do not fall under this act's protections. Additionally, discrimination based on a pardoned conviction or age is also unlawful in employment practices according to federal law.