Answer:
Under federal law, protected characteristics include race, color, national origin, religion, gender (including pregnancy), disability, age (if the employee is at least 40 years old), and citizenship status.
Explanation:
Discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or political affiliation.
Solicit or consider employment recommendations based on factors other than personal knowledge or records of job related abilities or characteristics.
Coerce an employee’s political activity or take action against any employee as reprisal for refusing to engage in political activity.
Deceive or willfully obstruct a person’s right to compete for employment.
Influence any person to withdraw from competition for a position to improve or injure the employment prospects of any other person.
Give unauthorized preference or advantage to any person to improve or injure the employment prospects of any particular employee or applicant.
Engage in nepotism.
Retaliate against an employee or an applicant because of an individual's legal disclosure of information evidencing wrongdoing ("whistleblowing").
Retaliate against an employee or applicant for exercising an appeal, complaint or grievance right; testifying or assisting another in exercising such a right, cooperating with an Inspector General or the Special Counsel, or refusing to obey an order that would break a law.
Discriminate against an employee based on conduct which is not adverse to on-the-job performance of the employee, applicant, or others. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has interpreted the prohibition of discrimination based on "conduct" to include discrimination based on sexual orientation. See Addressing Sexual Orientation Discrimination in Federal Civilian Employment.
Violate veterans’ preference requirements.
Violate any law, rule, or regulation which implements or directly concerns the merit principles.
