Which of the following does workplace discrimination laws protect against?

Workplace discrimination laws are specifically designed to protect employees from unfair treatment based on certain protected characteristics, such as race, gender, age, religion, and disability. These laws aim to ensure that all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace and are not subjected to discrimination in hiring, promotions, job assignments, and other employment-related decisions.

The correct answer emphasizes the focus of discrimination laws, which is on creating a fair work environment devoid of bias against individuals based on inherent or socially recognized characteristics. Such protections are fundamental to civil rights legislation and are intended to prevent inequality in the workplace.

On the other hand, employment based on personality does not fall under discrimination laws, as these regulations focus on legally recognized characteristics rather than subjective traits. Punishments for employees with poor performance can be legitimate aspects of performance management and are not covered by discrimination laws unless they are applied in a biased manner related to the protected characteristics. Lastly, while workplace conflicts may arise from various sources, not all forms of conflict are addressed by discrimination laws, as those laws specifically target discriminatory practices rather than general disputes or disagreements that can occur in any workplace setting.