HR Glossary

What is Protected Class?

A group of people sharing a characteristic (such as race, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability) that federal and state laws prohibit employers from using as a basis for adverse employment decisions.

Why it matters in hiring

Protected Class comes up whenever teams compare candidates, set policy or report on people data. Getting the definition right keeps decisions consistent, which is the same reason springhire scores every applicant against the same criteria rather than on impression.

Related terms starting with P

• Professional Development
• Professional Tax
• Profit Sharing
• Programmatic Job Advertising
• Psychological Safety
• Psychometric Testing
• Peer-to-Peer Recognition
• Permanent Contract

Part of the springhire HR glossary, 1,150+ HR, payroll and recruiting terms defined. Free, no signup.