Blog posts

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) protects employees and applicant for jobs from genetic discrimination in the workplace and through health insurance they may wish to purchase.

What is GINA?

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000ff is a Federal anti-discrimination statute that became law in November 2009. The EEOC is responsible for implementing Title II of GINA—a law that prohibits discrimination based on genetic information in employment. Title II of GINA became effective on January 10, 2011. 

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against an employee due to their race, sex, color, national origin, disability, religion, and age in any area of employment. The majority of employers with at least 15 employees are covered by federal anti-discrimination laws that are the responsibility of the EEOC to enforce, although it is 20 employees in age discrimination cases. Most labor unions and employment agencies are also covered.

New York, like most states, is an at-will employment state. That means that an employer is able to terminate you for any reason, or no reason, as long as the reason is not discriminatory. Even if the reason you’re terminated seems unfair like the employer just didn’t like you or they wanted to give the job to someone else they can do that, and it’s not considered unlawful termination. But if you were fired for a discriminatory reason or if your employer violated the terms of a contract then you may be able to file a claim for wrongful termination.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. During this month we celebrate the workers who have disabilities along with the inclusive employment laws and policies that benefit both employees and employers. The contributions of workers with disabilities are invaluable in the workplace.

Systemic discrimination in the workplace occurs when the discrimination is not a single occurrence but is pursued across the organization or business and is integrated into how the organization or business operates. Systemic discrimination in the workplace is illegal according to federal and many state laws. The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) is the federal agency that has been given the powers to investigate claims of systemic discrimination.

To the people that live in work in New York City it can feel like NYC is its own world. And when it comes to employment protections it kind of is. While employees in New York City are protected under New York state and federal law, New York City also has unique employee protection laws that only apply to workers in the city.

What Are Some of New York City’s Employment Laws

Some of the unique employment laws that NYC has passed to protect the workers specially in the city are:

Racial discrimination in the workplace can take many forms. One such form is hair discrimination.

Individuals of certain races may naturally have hairstyles that conflict with what some employers consider “professional.” If an employer objects to an employee’s natural hair, however, they may be committing a form of racial discrimination under the guise of promoting general workplace policies.

Were you recently fired in New York State? Do you believe the reason your employer fired you is illegal?

If so, you might have a valid wrongful termination case. By taking legal action against your employer, you could seek financial compensation and/or reinstatement to your job. Keep reading to learn more about the process.

Employees in at will states vs. right to work states often don’t fully understand the distinctions between these two employment models. This can prevent them from understanding their legal rights when employers terminate them or take other such actions.

Workers in all industries should familiarize themselves with the differences and similarities of right to work vs. at will employment. Doing so may be key to determining if you have grounds to take legal action against a former employer.

Did a former employer recently fire you in New York State? Do you believe their reason for terminating your employment was illegal?

You may have justification to file a wrongful termination claim or lawsuit if so. By doing so, you can pursue such damages as financial compensation and reinstatement to your job. Hiring a New York wrongful termination attorney may boost your chances of success.