Kansas
Overview
Please review the information below as well as the information on the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity page and then return to the workplace harassment prevention course tab.
Harassment and discrimination based on a protected characteristic are prohibited under both federal and state law. The federal government and most state governments have agencies that help employers and employees understand these legal requirements and ensure compliance with the laws.
Protected Characteristics
Harassment or discrimination based on any characteristic set forth below is prohibited under state law in Kansas.
Kansas
race
color
national origin
ancestry
sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions)
gender identity or expression*
sexual orientation*
age (40 or older)
disability
genetic information
military status
religion
status as victim of domestic violence or sexual assault
*The Kansas Human Rights Commission interprets state law consistent with Bostock v. Clayton County, 590 U.S. ___ (2020). Therefore, discrimination based on gender identity or expression or based on sexual orientation is a form of sex discrimination under Kansas law.
Applicable Laws
Kansas
The primary state laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including harassment, are the Kansas Act Against Discrimination and the Kansas Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Additionally, Kan. Stat. § 44-1126 prohibits discrimination based on military services status and Kan. Stat. § 44-1132 prohibits discrimination on the basis of status as a victim of domestic or sexual violence.
Filing a Claim in Kansas
An employment discrimination or harassment claim may be filed with the Kansas Human Rights Commission, and/or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, depending on the employer’s size and the protected characteristic on which the claim is based. More information on federal law prohibiting employment discrimination and harassment is available on the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity page.
Retaliation Prohibited
Employer retaliation against an employee who files a discrimination or harassment complaint or is involved in the complaint process is unlawful.
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only.
It does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.