New York City passes jobless discrimination law authorizing lawsuits for violations
Job seekers in New York City who are passed over because they are unemployed will be able to sue for discrimination under a new law passed over the mayor’s veto.
New York City is among four jurisdictions that have passed laws targeting discrimination against the unemployed, the Associated Press reports. But New York is alone in authorizing lawsuits. The laws in New Jersey, Oregon and Washington, D.C., bar job ads that require applicants to be employed.
The law will take effect in three months. Mayor Michael Bloomberg previously said he intended to veto the law because employers should be able to take work history into account, the New York Times reported in February. Bloomberg also cited fears that the law could spur lawsuits that discourage hiring.
