EEO is based on a variety of federal and state laws and regulations. Some state and local jurisdictions have requirements in addition to those set by federal laws and regulations and may cover employers with as few as one employee. Be aware that an equal employment opportunity statement is not the same as an affirmative action plan. Consult a local attorney or a specialist in employment law in your state before finalizing this policy. 

Note: EEO incorporates affirmative action requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors. See Executive Order 11246. Each government contractor or subcontractor with 50 or more employees and $50,000 or more in government contracts is required to develop a written affirmative action plan for its organization.  

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) - protects individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of national origin, race, color, religion and age.

• Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) - protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age and applies to both employees and job applicants. 

• Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) - prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. 

• Equal Pay Act of 1964 (EPA) - prohibits discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce.  

• Pregnancy Discrimination Act - an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. Women affected by pregnancy or related conditions must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations.
  

• http://www.eeoc.gov

• http://www.eeoc.gov/docs/threshold.html#2-III-B-1

• http://www.business.gov/busadv/maincat.cfm?catid=123