Equal employment opportunity requirements are meant to prohibit discrimination against employees or applicants based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or economic status and apply to hiring practices, employer/employee relations, and business opportunity. These requirements apply as soon as PJs and their partners begin the procurement process for new contractors.

Examples of discriminatory practices in employment include the following:

• Harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age;
  
  
• Retaliation against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination, participating in a discrimination investigation, or opposing discriminatory practices;
  
  
• Employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities, traits, or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, age, religion, or ethnic group, or individuals with disabilities; and
  
  
• Denying employment opportunities to a person because of marriage to, or association with, an individual of a particular race, religion, national origin, or an individual with a disability. Title VII also prohibits discrimination because of participation in schools or places of worship associated with a particular racial, ethnic, or religious group. For more information on equal employment opportunity, visit the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Web site.