Workplace discrimination cases are integrally linked to violations of workers' civil rights. In the employment sector, several keys federal laws protect workers from virtually every form of discrimination, including race, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, pregnancy, genetic, HIV/AIDS status, whistleblowers, and age. Furthermore, many states offer anti-discrimination protection for individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, which both may go against what is perceived as the social norm. Workplace discrimination cases, at least successful cases, do not include instances of discrimination because of poor performance, negligence, error, violations of legal company policies, or other forms of malpractice. In essence, the federal and state workplace laws seek to establish a system of meritocracy in all American businesses. Keep in mind, however, that not all businesses are required to abide by all federal and state laws, but as a rule of thumb, if your company engages in interstate commerce, you must adhere to federal guidelines. Fortunately, "interstate commerce" now includes any company engaged in the use of the internet, telephone services, and even, the postal service, which most likely includes virtually every modern company.