Final answer:
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on race, gender, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation, while the Americans with Disabilities Act forbids discrimination against individuals with disabilities and requires reasonable workplace accommodations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are critical laws in the United States that protect employees from various forms of workplace discrimination. Under Title VII, it is illegal to discriminate in employment on the basis of race, gender, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation. This means employers cannot make hiring, firing, promotion, or job assignment decisions based on these characteristics. Additionally, the law applies to discrimination against an employee for associating with an individual in one of these protected categories.
Moreover, the ADA prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability. Employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities unless doing so would cause undue hardship.
These laws ensure equal employment opportunity and protect workers from unfair treatment in the workplace, aiming to promote a diverse and inclusive work environment free from bias based on immutable characteristics or association with protected groups.