The Ohio Fair Employment Practices Law poster lays out the different laws in Ohio. For instance, it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or ancestry of any person to fire without just cause, to refuse to hire, or otherwise to discriminate against that person with respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, or any other matter related to employment.
It is unlawful to discriminate in hiring, firing or other terms or conditions of employment against people age 40 and older. Why? Because federal and state anti-discrimination laws prohibit discrimination in employment based on age. It is illegal to state the age you would prefer in notices and advertisements for employment. It is also illegal to force early retirement, and to retaliate against a worker who complains about age discrimination.
State law also offers protection to disabled people. Among other protections, people who have disabilities may not be turned down for employment simply because they have a physical or mental impairment. These laws are intended to provide everyone equal rights or access to jobs, housing and services, whether they are disabled or not.
In order to be covered by this law, you must be:
A. Someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
B. Someone who has a record of such a physical or mental impairment – such as physician records
C. Someone who is regarded as having such an impairment even if the person hiring does not define it as such.
Keep in mind that not every medical injury or condition is an impairment as defined by law.
Ohio’s Fair Employment Practices Law poster also explains that the law protects the employment status of pregnant women in the workplace. The law applies to private employers with four or more employees, all labor organizations, all employment agencies, and all state and local government agencies. Firing a woman solely for being pregnant is illegal. And once a woman returns to work after maternity leave, the employer must reinstate her the same way anyone else would be reinstated when returning from disability leave. There is no specific amount of time stated for maternity leave, however, Ohio rules require that the time must be sufficient.
