Discrimination means any action that unlawfully or unjustly results in unequal treatment of persons or groups based on which characteristics?

• A. Race, color, gender/sex, national origin, religion, age, disability or genetic information
• B. Performance ratings only
• C. Salary level only
• D. Employment location only

Answer: (A)

Discrimination is about treating people unfairly or unlawfully because of protected traits. The best option lists characteristics that anti-discrimination laws protect: race, color, gender or sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, and genetic information. When decisions are made based on any of these attributes, that’s considered discrimination.

Choices that point to performance, salary, or location describe neutral workplace factors that can be legitimate reasons for decisions in many contexts, not protected characteristics. They aren’t the bases that define discrimination under typical civil rights laws, so they’re not the correct focus for defining discrimination.

So, the correct choice captures the specific attributes that trigger protection, making it the best answer. For example, denying someone a job solely because of their race is discrimination based on a protected characteristic, whereas basing a decision on measured performance would be evaluated differently.