gender identity

California Transgender Worker Protections

In the wake of weakened federal protections, California has stepped up to increase awareness of the rights which transgender workers already possess under state anti-discrimination laws and address employment barriers. On October 13, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 396, the Transgender Work Opportunity Act, into law. The Act, which goes into effect on January 1, Read more

DOJ Shakes Federal Consensus on Gender Identity Discrimination

Those who hoped that the new administration would bring “certainty” for employers are probably a bit disappointed right now, as the most recent move from the federal government raises more questions about protections for transgender employees under federal law. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a memo which resets federal policy on Read more

Maryland has passed legislation that better aligns the state’s Equal Pay law to modern workforce demographics, assuring that along with equal wages, all workers are given equal employment opportunities. The amended Equal Pay law also allows workers to discuss their wages, provides additional factors to justify wage differentials, and adds law enforcement tools. These revisions are reflected 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 topic of gender identity has been the subject of both media and legislative attention recently. In the workplace, discrimination is a major contributor to the especially high rates of unemployment and underemployment faced by transgender people. These workers are often fired, paid less or harassed because of who they are. So it is not Read more

The US Department of Labor has updated regulations to reflect modern workforce demographics, employees’ health and family care responsibilities, and achieve pay equity. Mandatory federal workplace posting updates reflecting these goals are expected soon. What’s changing? FMLA Poster Update – The U.S. Department of Labor (US DOL) has issued a Final Rule changing the Family Read more

In the last three years, Puerto Rico enacted two laws that extended protections against employment discrimination available under Act No. 100 of June 30, 1959 to employees based on their military status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. In May 29, 2013, Puerto Rico’s government passed Law 22. This law makes it illegal to discriminate on Read more

Last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) distributed a memorandum reinforcing the agency’s position that discrimination based on sexual orientation, transgender status, and gender identity violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). Title VII prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Title Read more