Protected Category
A characteristic or status legally protected from discrimination in employment, expanded by Act 203 to include a broad range of factors.
Definition
A protected category, or protected class, refers to a characteristic or status that is legally safeguarded against discrimination in employment and other areas. Hawaii's Act 203 significantly expanded the scope of protected categories under its equal pay law (HRS § 378-2.3) to include all categories listed in HRS § 378-2(a)(1). These encompass a wide array of factors such as race, sex (including gender identity or expression), sexual orientation, age, religion, color, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, reproductive health decision, and domestic or sexual violence victim status. Discrimination in pay based on any of these characteristics for substantially similar work is prohibited.