The New York City Bar Association has released a pamphlet entitled “Know Your Rights: A Guide to NYC Employment Law for LGBT workers,” which provides general legal information to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who have questions about their workplace rights and employment laws applicable in New York City .
Drafted by the City Bar’s LGBT Rights Committee, the pamphlet explains that several federal, state, and city laws protect the rights of LGBT employees in the workplace:
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. Discrimination against an individual because of that person’s gender identity or expression may be a form of sex discrimination. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals may also experience sex discrimination, including sexual harassment.
The New York State Human Rights Law prohibits the same conduct as Title VII and also prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals in hiring, firing, or in the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment on the basis of an individual’s actual or perceived sexual orientation (defined as heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or asexuality) and/or marital status.
The New York City Human Rights Law prohibits New York City employers from refusing to hire, discharging, or discriminating against an employee in compensation or in the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of the employee’s actual or perceived gender, marital status, partnership status, or sexual orientation (which includes homosexuality, heterosexuality, and bisexuality).
The informational guide also addresses issues such as investigating your rights, seeking relief from unlawful employment discrimination, concerns about retaliation for taking action, the importance of keeping records, and other general tips, in addition to providing important resources where individuals may be able to obtain free legal advice to assist with understanding legal rights and potentially pursuing unlawful employment discrimination claims.
The pamphlet is available here: bit.ly/11FR1WJ.