In contrast to the German laws, associated discrimination in US law requires proof of an intention to discriminate. The employer must have verifiable knowledge of the connection between the employee and the third person, which bears the grounds of discrimination. This can be inferred from the three-step structure of the discrimination claims process under US law. In the first step, potentially affected employees must present the circumstances from which the existence of discrimination is apparent, at which point the employer's intention to discriminate must also be proven. In the second step, the burden of proof is transferred to the employer, who must prove that the difference in treatment was objectively justified and not based on a discriminatory characteristic. If this is successful, the third step is for the discriminated person to prove that the difference in treatment was due to the protected ground. In this three-step process, however, it is difficult to argue that it is a case of associated discrimination. Moreover, in order to successfully win a claim in US law, the employee must experience a direct disadvantage as a result of association with a third person who bears a protected characteristic. Economic harm is often considered insufficient.