Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment on the bases of sex, race, color, religion, and national origin. Title VII covers all employment actions, including hiring, promotion, and termination, as well as all of the terms and conditions of employment.
Under Title VII and related statutes barring employment discrimination based on age and disability, an employee has 180 (or, in some states, 300) days after a discriminatory act, such as a firing or demotion, to file a discrimination claim. For pay discrimination claims an employee may file whenever an employee receives a discriminatory paycheck, as well as when a discriminatory pay decision or practice is adopted, when a person becomes subject to the decision or practice, or when a person is otherwise affected by the decision or practice.