10.14 Civil Rights-Title VII-Defense-Bona FIDE Occupational Qualification (BFO) is a legal defense available to employers under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to justify discriminatory hiring practices that would otherwise be prohibited. This defense allows employers to make employment decisions based on certain characteristics of a job that are necessary for the proper performance of the job’s essential functions. Common characteristics that employers may use as a BFO include gender, religion, and national origin. There are two types of Books: Absolute and Relative. An Absolute BFO is one that is based on a particular characteristic that must be possessed by every applicant in order to properly perform the job’s essential functions. An example of this is a religious organization that requires its employees to be of the same faith. A Relative BFO is one that is based on a particular characteristic that makes an applicant more suitable than others for the job in question. An example of this is a modeling agency that requires its models to be of a certain height and weight.