I n Idaho, most people are employed at- will. This means an employee can be terminated at any time for any reason, and can resign at any time for any reason. However, there are exceptions to this rule, such as illegal discrimination and retaliation.
People are entitled to work in an environment free of unlawful discrimination. Employers are not allowed to use any of the following traits as decision- making factors when hiring, terminating, compensating, promoting, demoting, laying-off, or transferring employees:
- Race
- Gender
- Religion
- Age
- National Origin
- Color
- Disability
Employers are prohibited from harassing you based on any of the above traits. You have been illegally harassed if you have suffered repeated insulting remarks, jokes or other unfavorable treatment on the basis of your race, gender, national origin, religion, age or disability.
Discrimination is based on your fixed personal traits. If you have suffered discrimination because of something you have said or done, it is called retaliation. For discrimination to be illegal, it must be based on one of the traits listed above. Many other types of differential treatment are legal, such as your employment history, or credit scores. It may be unfair for an employer to treat employees differently based on such factors, but, it is not illegal for them to do so.