[header] How to sue your employer for discrimination [title] Identify protected characteristics. [step] Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of certain protected characteristics. These include race, color, national origin, religion, age (40 or older), disability, and genetic information. 
[substeps] It is also illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex (whether the person is male or female). According to federal law, " sex " discrimination includes discrimination based on pregnancy.