bona fide occupational qualifications (BFOQ)

Employment qualities or attributes of a prospective or current employee that an employer is allowed to consider under law for the purpose of hiring or retention. The qualifications may include gender, age and national origin, if those characteristics are considered essential to the job requirements. In order to prove that the qualifications are necessary, the company must show that they are critical to the success of the activities to be carried out by that individual. Also called bona fide occupational requirements.