What Is Colorism at Work? Understanding Color Discrimination
Workplace conversations about racial discrimination often focus on differences between racial or ethnic groups.
But differences in treatment can also occur within those groups based on skin tone.
That is where colorism becomes relevant to the workplace conversation.
For U.S. employment-law purposes, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission uses the term color discrimination. The EEOC explains that color discrimination involves treating someone unfavorably because of skin complexion. It also makes clear that race and color are related but separately protected bases under Title VII (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC], 2006, n.d.).
Research has also found that skin tone can influence candidate evaluations in some hiring settings, although findings vary across studies, populations, and countries (Derous et al., 2017; Dias, 2020; Harrison & Thomas, 2009).
That does not mean complexion affects every employment decision.
It does mean skin tone is a documented factor worth understanding because people who share the same racial or ethnic identity can still experience different treatment based on complexion.
Note: This article provides general information about workplace diversity and employment discrimination. It is not legal advice.
What to Know About Colorism in the Workplace
Research and federal guidance point to several important distinctions:
Race discrimination and color discrimination can overlap, but they are not identical under federal employment law.
The EEOC defines color in terms of pigmentation, complexion, skin shade, or tone.
Color discrimination can occur between people of different races or between people of the same race or ethnicity.
Research has found skin-tone differences in candidate evaluations in some hiring settings.
Other research has produced more mixed results, showing that skin tone does not affect every candidate or employment setting in the same way.
Under Title VII, covered employers may not discriminate based on race or color in hiring, compensation, promotion, job assignments, training, termination, or other terms and conditions of employment.
(Derous et al., 2017; Dias, 2020; EEOC, 2006, n.d.; Harrison & Thomas, 2009)
What Is Colorism?
In this article, we use colorism as shorthand for differential treatment associated with skin tone.
For U.S. employment-law purposes, the relevant term is color discrimination.
The EEOC's detailed race and color guidance describes color as:
pigmentation;
complexion;
skin shade; or
skin tone.
(EEOC, 2006)
That distinction matters because skin-tone discrimination does not always occur across racial lines.
For example, two employees may identify with the same racial or ethnic group and still be treated differently because one has a lighter or darker complexion.
The EEOC explicitly states that color discrimination can occur between people of different races or ethnicities and between people of the same race or ethnicity (EEOC, 2006).
Is Color Discrimination Different From Race Discrimination?
Yes, although the two can overlap.
Title VII separately lists race and color as protected bases.
The EEOC explains that race discrimination can include unfavorable treatment because of race or characteristics associated with race.
Color discrimination focuses specifically on skin pigmentation, complexion, shade, or tone (EEOC, 2006).
A workplace situation can therefore potentially involve: race discrimination, color discrimination, or both.
That distinction is one reason skin-tone discrimination deserves its own workplace discussion rather than being treated only as part of broader racial discrimination.When Can Culture Fit Become Similarity?
Lauren Rivera’s 2012 study in the American Sociological Review provides an important example.
Rivera conducted 120 interviews with employers and observed a hiring committee at elite professional-service firms. She found that hiring decisions involved more than assessments of skills. Employers also evaluated candidates through cultural similarities involving leisure interests, experiences, and styles of self-presentation (Rivera, 2012).
In that particular setting, employers sometimes looked for candidates who were not only capable but culturally similar to themselves.
More than half of the evaluators Rivera studied described cultural fit as the most important criterion at the interview stage (Rivera, 2012).
Those findings should not be generalized to every employer.
The study focused specifically on elite professional-service firms and examined hiring within that particular environment.
But the research illustrates a useful risk:
A criterion called “fit” can sometimes measure similarity to the interviewer rather than something required for the job or organization.
That distinction matters for workplace diversity because candidates from different backgrounds may bring different interests, experiences, communication styles, and forms of self-presentation without being less capable of performing the work.
What Does Research Say About Skin Tone and Hiring?
Researchers have examined whether skin tone influences employment evaluations.
The evidence suggests that it can in some settings, but the findings are not uniform.
One U.S. Study Found Differences Among Black Applicants
A 2009 study by Matthew Harrison and Kecia Thomas examined skin-color bias in employment selection.
The researchers found significant differences in how Black applicants were evaluated based on complexion. Skin tone influenced evaluations even as the study also varied qualifications such as education and work experience (Harrison & Thomas, 2009).
That provides evidence that complexion can affect candidate evaluation in a hiring context.
But one study should not be generalized to every employer or hiring process.
A Study of HR Professionals Also Found Skin-Tone Effects
A later study published in Human Relations examined résumé screening among 424 White majority-group HR professionals.
Researchers manipulated applicants' ethnic cues, including names and skin tone.
They found that equally qualified applicants with darker skin received lower job-suitability ratings than lighter-skinned applicants under certain job-context conditions (Derous et al., 2017).
The results were not identical across every scenario.
Factors such as the amount of client contact associated with the position and the status of the industry influenced the effects observed in the study.
That is important because it shows why research on colorism should not be reduced to a universal rule.
Research Does Not Show the Same Effect Everywhere
A useful counterpoint comes from a 2020 field experiment conducted in two Brazilian labor markets.
Researcher Felipe Dias sent fictitious applications for entry-level sales and administrative-assistant positions. Applicant photographs varied skin tone alongside other characteristics (Dias, 2020).
The findings were mixed.
Female applicants with dark skin had a significantly lower predicted probability of receiving a callback than female applicants with light skin.
The study did not find statistically significant skin-tone differences for male applicants or for female applicants with brown skin (Dias, 2020).
That nuance matters.
The research does not support a universal claim such as:
“Darker-skinned candidates are always treated worse in hiring.”
Instead, the findings across studies suggest that skin-tone effects can differ according to factors including gender, labor-market context, job type, and other characteristics.
That is one reason employers should avoid assumptions based on complexion in either direction.
What Does the EEOC Say About Color Discrimination at Work?
Federal law prohibits covered employers from discriminating because of race or color.
According to the EEOC, those protections apply across employment situations including:
hiring;
firing;
pay;
job assignments;
promotions;
layoffs;
training;
benefits; and
other terms or conditions of employment.
(EEOC, n.d.)
Color discrimination is therefore not limited to hiring.
Skin-tone treatment can potentially become relevant anywhere employment decisions or workplace treatment are involved.
Can Color-Based Harassment Be Unlawful?
Yes, under certain circumstances.
The EEOC explains that harassment based on race or color can violate federal law when the conduct is sufficiently frequent or severe to create a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (EEOC, n.d.).
Harassment can involve conduct related specifically to someone's complexion or skin tone.
As with other forms of workplace discrimination, whether particular conduct violates the law depends on the facts and applicable legal standards.
Why Colorism Matters for Workplace Diversity
Workplace diversity can be oversimplified when organizations look only at broad racial categories.
Representation data can tell an employer something about who is present.
It does not necessarily tell the employer whether everyone within those groups experiences the workplace in the same way.
Colorism illustrates that difference.
People who identify with the same racial or ethnic group may still experience different social perceptions or workplace treatment based on complexion.
That is one reason workplace inclusion can require looking beyond broad demographic categories alone.
It also reinforces a principle that applies throughout fair hiring and career advancement:
People should be evaluated according to qualifications, performance, and legitimate job requirements rather than assumptions attached to appearance.
What Can Employers Take From the Research?
Employers do not need to assume that every difference in workplace outcomes is caused by colorism.
The research does support awareness that skin tone can influence evaluation in some settings.
A practical approach is to keep employment decisions tied to clearly defined criteria.
Use Consistent Candidate-Evaluation Standards
Candidates competing for the same position can be assessed against the same job-related requirements.
Using consistent candidate-evaluation standards keeps the criteria focused on the requirements of the job.
Define Promotion and Performance Criteria
Color discrimination is not only a recruiting issue.
Clear expectations for advancement and performance make it easier to assess employees based on work rather than subjective impressions.
Take Skin-Tone Complaints Seriously
Color discrimination can occur between people who share the same race or ethnicity.
An allegation should therefore not be dismissed merely because the people involved identify with the same racial group.
Look Beyond Representation Alone
A workforce may appear racially diverse at an aggregate level while people within the same racial groups experience the workplace differently.
Representation remains useful information.
It simply does not tell the whole story.
The goal is not to assume bias exists in every decision.
It is to make sure complexion is not becoming a factor in decisions where it has no legitimate role.
Final Thoughts
Race is not the only way appearance can shape people's experiences at work.
Skin tone can matter within racial and ethnic groups too.
Research has documented skin-tone differences in employment evaluations in several settings, while other findings demonstrate that those effects are not universal.
That nuance matters.
Colorism should not become a label automatically applied whenever employees with different complexions experience different outcomes.
But skin-tone differences should not be dismissed simply because the people involved share the same racial identity.
For Diversity.com, the broader principle is straightforward:
Workplace diversity is not only about who gets through the door. It is also about whether people have a fair opportunity once they are there.
Understanding color discrimination adds another layer to that conversation—and helps employers look beyond broad representation numbers toward how opportunity and evaluation operate within the workplace.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is colorism in the workplace?
In this article, colorism refers to differential workplace treatment associated with skin tone.
For U.S. employment-law purposes, the EEOC uses the term color discrimination, which concerns unfavorable treatment based on complexion, pigmentation, skin shade, or tone (EEOC, 2006).
Is color discrimination the same as race discrimination?
No.
Race and color discrimination can overlap, but Title VII lists them separately. The EEOC's color-discrimination guidance specifically focuses on pigmentation, complexion, skin shade, or tone (EEOC, 2006).
Can color discrimination happen between people of the same race?
Yes.
The EEOC explicitly states that color discrimination can occur between people of the same race or ethnicity as well as between people of different racial or ethnic groups (EEOC, 2006).
Does research prove darker-skinned applicants are always discriminated against?
No.
Some studies have found disadvantages associated with darker skin in particular hiring contexts, while other findings are more mixed.
For example, Dias (2020) found a significantly lower callback probability for dark-skinned women compared with light-skinned women in the Brazilian field experiment, but did not find statistically significant skin-tone differences for male applicants or brown-skinned female applicants.
Is color discrimination illegal at work?
Title VII prohibits covered employers from discriminating because of race or color in employment decisions and other terms or conditions of employment (EEOC, n.d.).
Whether a particular workplace situation violates the law depends on the facts and applicable legal standards.
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Sources & References
Derous, E., Pepermans, R., & Ryan, A. M. (2017). Ethnic discrimination during résumé screening: Interactive effects of applicants' ethnic salience with job context. Human Relations, 70(7), 860–882. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726716676537
Dias, F. A. (2020). How skin color, class status, and gender intersect in the labor market: Evidence from a field experiment. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 65, Article 100477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2020.100477
Harrison, M. S., & Thomas, K. M. (2009). The hidden prejudice in selection: A research investigation on skin color bias. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39(1), 134–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00433.x
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2006, April 19). Section 15: Race and color discrimination. https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/section-15-race-and-color-discrimination
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.). Race/color discrimination. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://www.eeoc.gov/racecolor-discrimination
