Last month, Illinois amended its Human Rights Act (IHRA) (775 ILCS 5/) to clarify the protection of employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs in the workplace. Individuals were already protected from discrimination based on religion but the amended statute, known as the “Religious Garb Law” (SB 1697), makes certain protections more explicit. The new law prohibits Read more
On August 7, 2017, Governor Chris Christie signed Senate Bill 726 amending the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. The new law extends full protection against discrimination to individuals having liability for service in the Armed Forces of United States and veterans. Prior to the amendment, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination made it unlawful to Read more
On April 5, 2017, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Bill Int. 1253-2016, approving a salary history ban in job interviews. The new law, which is aimed at tackling pay inequity, prohibits all employers from inquiring about or relying on a prospective employee’s salary history during all stages of the employment process. Advocates Read more
On February 13, 2017, Ordinance 70459 took effect in the city of St. Louis. The new law prohibits discrimination based on a person’s reproductive health decisions or pregnancy. Reproductive health decision is defined as “any decision related to the use or intended use of a particular drug, device, or medical service related to reproductive health, Read more
The ADEA & Disparate Impact The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits employment discrimination against persons over the age of forty. One way an employee can demonstrate age discrimination is by showing that a specific employer policy or practice has a “disparate impact” on members of the protected class. For example, a particular hiring Read more
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services finalized a rule under the Affordable Care Act Section 1557. The aim of the new rule is to provide guidance for enforcing the anti-discrimination provisions. Under the Affordable Care Act, discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability is prohibited. Read more
Maryland has amended its Equal Pay for Equal Work law giving more workers protection from wage discrimination. Under existing law, employers are prohibited from discriminating in the payment of wages between employees of the opposite sex who work in the “same establishment” and “perform work of comparable character or work in the same operation, in Read more
The Attorney General’s Office of Massachusetts has recently released an updated Fair Employment posting that includes information on two new laws. All employers with six or more employees are protected under the Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151B and are required to replace any outdated postings. As previously mentioned in our blog, the Massachusetts Domestic Workers’ Read more
On May 5, 2015, a Georgia federal court found employer, Atlas Logistics Group Retail Services, LLC liable of violating the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). In 2012, Atlas found that an employee(s) were using the warehouse facilities to store groceries as lavatories. To find the person or people responsible, Atlas decided to start an investigation Read more
A bill was recently passed in the city of New York that may prohibit discrimination based on consumer credit history. The term consumer credit history is defined in the bill as the individual’s credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, or payment history as indicated by a consumer credit report, credit score, or information the employer Read more
