New Report from the Center for WorkLife Law: The Growth of State and Local Laws Prohibiting Family Responsibilities Discrimination

Stephanie Bornstein, Associate Director of the Center for Worklaw Life at Hastings Law, sends us news of a New Report from the Center for WorkLife Law: Caregivers as a Protected Class?: The Growth of State and Local Laws Prohibiting Family Responsibilities Discrimination by herself & Robert J. Rathmell.

From the report:

At least 63 local governments in 22 states—including some of the nation’s major urban areas—have passed employment anti-discrimination laws that go beyond federal and state statutes to ensure that those with caregiving responsibilities are not discriminated against at work.  Cases filed under these local laws, such as one recent decision in Chicago, have the potential to result in substantial damages, fines, and attorneys fees.

The Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law has released the first comprehensive nationwide survey of state and local laws that prohibit family responsibilities discrimination, or FRD.  The laws surveyed specifically include parental status, familial status, or family responsibilities as a protected class in employment protections—similar to sex, race, and religion.  Most call for administrative redress, fines, or injunctive relief.  Many allow for monetary awards for damages, some including punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.  

You can read the complete press release here and the full report here.

PS