When applying for a job you will likely read the entirety of the post carefully. You want to know what the job is described as, its responsibilities, the company culture, salary, and more. After all, it is important to see if you would be a good fit for the role. If you come across inappropriate language that seems to be attempting to steer certain groups of people away from the role, it could be discriminatory language. Discrimination in job postings can be a company’s attempt to discourage specific applicants from applying. Employment discrimination is illegal against certain demographics. If you have experienced employment discrimination in any way, contact an Atlanta employment discrimination attorney to find out your options.

Who is Protected from Employment Discrimination?

Under federal law in the United States, there are certain classes of people protected from discrimination in the workplace. According to the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• National origin
• Age
• Disability
• Pregnancy

What is Discriminatory Language in a Job Posting?

Discriminatory language in a job advertisement can take many forms. It can appear in very subtle requirements that may make some people feel they are unqualified for the position and should not even apply. You may read a job description and not even notice the discrimination within because it is written in positive-sounding ways.

If a position states that it is great for recent college graduates or youthful applicants that could sound like an amazing opportunity for people new to the corporate world. However, the employer may be including that verbiage to discourage people over a certain age from applying. This is illegal age discrimination.

Another example can come in the form of national origin discrimination. A job may state that after being accepted an applicant must show proof that they are legally allowed to work in the United States. However, a job advertisement cannot state that an applicant must be a U.S. citizen or green card holder.

Few job posts should include any religious mentions unless the posting is for a Church or a chaplain. If the company has no religious affiliations and includes a religious preference for candidates, that is religious discrimination. There can be subtler religious discrimination too, such as specifying that people must be clean-shaven when some religions require men to have facial hair or that no additional breaks outside of lunch can be taken which may discourage someone who needs time to pray throughout the day.

Gendered language in advertisements can also be an issue and unintentionally discourage a woman from applying for example if the posting includes a word such as “handyman” or if it uses he/him pronouns throughout the listing. If you come across any of the above examples in a job advertisement, or another statement that feels targeted or unfair, you may be spotting discriminatory language.