New York City Adopts New Measures to “Stop Sexual Harassment”

The New York City Council recently passed a package of new laws designed to address the prevalence of sexual harassment and hostile work environment complaints throughout the city. Known collectively as the “Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act,” the new legislation significantly expands the scope of private employers subject to the New York City

Does Favoring College Graduates in Hiring Constitute “Age Discrimination”?

Age discrimination is illegal when the victims are workers or job applicants ages 40 and over. It is important to distinguish illegal acts of age discrimination from employment policies that merely disfavor older workers in practice. Not every such policy is illegal. The burden is on the plaintiff making a claim

Will New York City Give Workers the “Right to Disconnect”?

Smartphones and laptops allow us to work anywhere and anytime we choose. On the flip side, these devices also make it possible for your employer to contact you even when you are not working. One New York City council member recently proposed a change to local employment law that would give workers

Do Anti-Hispanic Statements Constitute “Racial” Discrimination?

There are multiple federal and state laws that address employment discrimination. For example, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on a number of protected characteristics, including race, color, national origin, sex, and religion. Other federal laws are less broad in their scope, such as the

Is “Not Fitting in” Actually a Pretext for Discrimination?

New York employers often give vague reasons for firing an employee. A common one is that the employee simply “did not fit in” with the company or its culture. Sometimes such ambiguity is simply designed to avoid an uncomfortable conversation with an employee who is simply not performing well. There

N.Y. Court Rules Federal Sex Discrimination Law Covers Sexual Orientation

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over all federal courts in the State of New York, issued a landmark employment discrimination ruling on February 26. By a vote of 10-3, the full Court held that “sex discrimination” under Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964

Can My Employer Use a Disciplinary Hearing to Justify Discrimination?

Employment discrimination cases may involve multiple levels of judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings. As a general rule, once a discrimination claim has been fully and fairly litigated in one court or forum, it cannot be re-litigated in the future. In legal parlance this is known as “collateral estoppel.” Judge Rejects Board of

Does Filing a Lawsuit Make Me Mentally Unfit to Hold a Job?

Many New York employers may try to justify illegal job discrimination on the grounds that a job applicant is physically or mentally unfit for the position. While some types of medical testing may be permissible depending on the nature and requirements of a given job, when an employer uses such tests as