WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly prohibit discrimination in promotions and/or demotions on the basis of social class?

The term “social class” encompasses a diversity of terminology used across countries, and includes references to ‘caste’, ‘social background’, ‘economic standing’, ‘economic status’, ‘social condition’, ‘social origin’, ‘socioeconomic status’, ‘disadvantaged’, ‘property status, ‘education’, and others. For the purposes of this variable, the term “social class” captures all of these definitions.

Promotions and/or demotions includes explicit legislative prohibitions against discrimination in promotions, advancement, discipline, demotions, and in certain cases, prohibition of discrimination in performance evaluations.

No prohibition means that legislation does not does not take an explicit approach to prohibiting discrimination in promotions and/or demotions on the basis of social class. This does not mean that legislation denies this guarantee.

General prohibition of discrimination in promotions and/or demotions means that legislation prohibits discrimination in promotions and/or demotions generally—for example, by prohibiting discrimination based on “any status” or stating no worker may be discriminated against. This general prohibition is not specifically extended on the basis of social class.

Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class means that legislation extends a prohibition of discrimination at the workplace on the basis of social class, but does not explicitly address discrimination in promotions nor demotions on this basis. These broad prohibitions use language that could extend prohibition of discrimination across any aspect of work.

Yes, prohibition based on social class means that legislation either: a) extends an explicit social class-based prohibition of discrimination in promotions or demotions, or b) extends a broad prohibition of social class-based workplace discrimination alongside a general prohibition of discrimination in promotions or demotions to all workers within the same legislation.

Countries

Afghanistan - No prohibition

Antigua and Barbuda - No prohibition

Austria - No prohibition

Bangladesh - No prohibition

Bahrain - No prohibition

Brunei - No prohibition

Bolivia - No prohibition

Brazil - No prohibition

Bahamas - No prohibition

Botswana - No prohibition

Canada - No prohibition

Democratic Republic of the Congo - No prohibition

Central African Republic - No prohibition

Republic of the Congo - No prohibition

Switzerland - No prohibition

Cameroon - No prohibition

China - No prohibition

Cyprus - No prohibition

Germany - No prohibition

Dominica - No prohibition

Ecuador - No prohibition

Estonia - No prohibition

Egypt - No prohibition

Ethiopia - No prohibition

Micronesia, Federated States of - No prohibition

United Kingdom - No prohibition

Greenland - No prohibition

Haiti - No prohibition

Indonesia - No prohibition

Ireland - No prohibition

Israel - No prohibition

India - No prohibition

Iran - No prohibition

Iceland - No prohibition

Italy - No prohibition

Jamaica - No prohibition

Jordan - No prohibition

Japan - No prohibition

St. Kitts and Nevis - No prohibition

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No prohibition

Kuwait - No prohibition

Laos - No prohibition

Lebanon - No prohibition

Liechtenstein - No prohibition

Luxembourg - No prohibition

Monaco - No prohibition

Madagascar - No prohibition

Marshall Islands - No prohibition

Myanmar - No prohibition

Malta - No prohibition

Malaysia - No prohibition

Nigeria - No prohibition

The Netherlands - No prohibition

Norway - No prohibition

Nauru - No prohibition

Oman - No prohibition

Papua New Guinea - No prohibition

The Philippines - No prohibition

Pakistan - No prohibition

Poland - No prohibition

Palau - No prohibition

Qatar - No prohibition

Saudi Arabia - No prohibition

Solomon Islands - No prohibition

Seychelles - No prohibition

Sudan - No prohibition

Sweden - No prohibition

Singapore - No prohibition

San Marino - No prohibition

South Sudan - No prohibition

Chad - No prohibition

Thailand - No prohibition

Tunisia - No prohibition

Tonga - No prohibition

Trinidad and Tobago - No prohibition

United States of America - No prohibition

Uruguay - No prohibition

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No prohibition

Vanuatu - No prohibition

Yemen - No prohibition

Zimbabwe - No prohibition

Andorra - General prohibition of discrimination in promotions and/or demotions

Cuba - General prohibition of discrimination in promotions and/or demotions

Iraq - General prohibition of discrimination in promotions and/or demotions

United Arab Emirates - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Armenia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Azerbaijan - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Belarus - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Chile - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Colombia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Costa Rica - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Cabo Verde - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Algeria - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Eritrea - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Finland - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Ghana - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Equatorial Guinea - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Greece - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Guatemala - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Honduras - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Kyrgyzstan - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Republic of Korea - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Kazakhstan - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Sri Lanka - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Lesotho - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Lithuania - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Libya - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Mali - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Mongolia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Mauritania - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Maldives - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Mozambique - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Nicaragua - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Nepal - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Panama - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Paraguay - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Rwanda - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Somalia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

El Salvador - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Eswatini - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Tajikistan - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Timor-Leste - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Uzbekistan - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Venezuela - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Vietnam - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Albania - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Angola - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Argentina - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Australia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Barbados - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Belgium - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Burkina Faso - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Bulgaria - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Burundi - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Benin - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Bhutan - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Belize - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Cote d'Ivoire - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Czech Republic - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Djibouti - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Denmark - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Dominican Republic - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Spain - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Fiji - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

France - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Gabon - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Grenada - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Georgia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

The Gambia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Guinea - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Guinea-Bissau - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Guyana - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Croatia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Hungary - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Kenya - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Cambodia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Kiribati - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Comoros - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

St. Lucia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Liberia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Latvia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Morocco - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Moldova - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Montenegro - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

North Macedonia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Mauritius - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Malawi - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Mexico - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Namibia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Niger - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

New Zealand - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Peru - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Portugal - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Romania - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Serbia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Russian Federation - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Slovenia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Slovakia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Sierra Leone - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Senegal - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Suriname - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Sao Tome and Principe - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Syria - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Togo - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Turkmenistan - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Türkiye - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Tuvalu - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Tanzania - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Ukraine - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Uganda - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Samoa - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

South Africa - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Zambia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition