Discrimination

Massachusetts Adds “Natural Hairstyle” as a Protected Category to Anti-Discrimination Laws

The list of characteristics protected by Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws has become a bit longer with the addition of “natural hairstyle” to long-standing items such as race, gender, disability, and color. … more →

The Vaccine Dilemma: Can Employers Require them as a Condition of Employment?

With all the talk about vaccines lately, both those that already exist for influenza and others  that may soon arrive in the battle against Covid-19, employers are asking a fundamental … more →

U.S. Supreme Court will Decide whether Federal Anti-Discrimination Law Protects Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Employees

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has concluded gay marriage is a right protected by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, it is opting to take up the questions … more →

Legislature Considers Extending Discrimination Filing Period to 6 Years, other MCAD Changes

Bills under consideration by the Massachusetts Legislature could bring one major change and other lesser ones to discrimination law in Massachusetts. Under a bill proposed by six senators, the filing … more →

Massachusetts Law Continues to Protect against Gender Identity Discrimination Despite Federal Pronouncment

When Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced that his Justice Department rejects the idea that transgender people are protected under Title VII, the federal workplace discrimination statute, it received quick … more →

Pregnant Workers will Enjoy Broad New Job Protections under Recently Signed Massachusetts Law

Massachusetts recently took another step to protect members of its workforce. Late in July, Gov. Charlie Baker signed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which provides broad new rules for pregnant … more →

Employees may be Free to Speak their Minds, but Employers are Free to React

Free speech is not always free. That seemingly obvious point was apparently lost on Google employee James Damore, a man making headlines recently after he was fired for writing a … more →

Reasonable Accommodation Laws Apply to Use of Medical Marijuana in Massachusetts

If there was any doubt that employers need to be careful about disciplining employees who use medical marijuana, it was ended today by the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC). It held … more →

Employer Learns Reasonable Accommodation Lesson that’s Instructive to All

The Supreme Judicial Court recently clarified the legal hurdles employers must satisfy when defending claims that they failed to reasonably accommodate their disabled employees. In doing so, it gave one … more →

Federal Courts Move Toward Ban Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination

A U.S. Federal Court this week lent more weight to the notion that a federal law that bans employment discrimination applies to employers whose conduct is motivated by their employees’ … more →