| Small business owners are often unaware that | | | | history of mental disability, mental |
| the employment discrimination laws apply to | | | | retardation, learning disability or physical |
| them. Since such business owners usually do | | | | disability (including blindness). Moreover, |
| not have the luxury of having large human | | | | both state and federal employment |
| resource departments or in-house counsel such | | | | discrimination laws prohibit harassment as |
| businesses are often caught in the dark about | | | | well as discrimination. |
| their obligations under these laws. Any | | | | |
| employer that has 15 or more employees must | | | | What does all this mean for you as a small or |
| comply with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act | | | | medium employer? You need to ensure that you |
| of 1964 ("Title VII") and the Americans with | | | | and your managers are familiar with the |
| Disabilities Act ("ADA"). Employers with 20 | | | | employment discrimination laws. This means |
| or more employees must also comply with the | | | | that all employment decisions from hiring to |
| provisions of the Age Discrimination in | | | | firing need to be made based on job-related |
| Employment Act ("ADEA"). What do these laws | | | | factors having nothing to do with a person's |
| require? They require that you not | | | | age, race, sex, pregnancy, sexual |
| discriminate against employees on the basis | | | | orientation, etc. It also means that your |
| of the employee's age, disability, sex, race, | | | | managers and employees need to be trained on |
| color, national origin or religion. In | | | | the employment discrimination laws and |
| addition to these federal laws, there are | | | | preventing sexual and other forms of unlawful |
| also state laws that often apply to employers | | | | harassment. In fact, Connecticut requires |
| with very few employees. For example, in New | | | | employers with 50 or more employees to train |
| York, the New York State Human Rights Law | | | | all managers within six months of becoming a |
| applies to employers with 4 or more employees | | | | manager. The training must be legally |
| and in Connecticut the state Fair Employment | | | | compliant or it will not satisfy an |
| Practices Act applies to employers with 3 or | | | | employer's obligations under the law. Small |
| more employees. Many times these state | | | | businesses should retain outside consultants |
| employment laws prohibit discrimination | | | | to provide their Anti-Harassment Training to |
| against people in protected classes in | | | | ensure that such training is properly taught. |
| addition to those protected under federal | | | | Our company, HR Learning Center LLC provides |
| law. So for instance, in New York, employers | | | | employment law, sexual and anit-harassment |
| are prohibited under state law from | | | | training and workplace violence prevention |
| discriminating against employees based on | | | | training to small and medium employers. |
| their race, color, creed, national origin, | | | | Please visit our website at |
| military status, sex, age, religion, marital | | | | |
| status, alienage or citizenship status, | | | | This document has been provided for |
| sexual orientation, disability or genetic | | | | informational purposes only and is not |
| predisposition or carrier status. In | | | | intended and should not be construed to |
| Connecticut, the FEPA prohibits | | | | constitute legal advice. Please consult your |
| discrimination based upon race, color, | | | | attorney in connection with any specific |
| religious creed, age, marital status, | | | | questions or issues that may impose |
| ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, | | | | additional obligations on you and your |
| sexual orientation, pregnancy, breast | | | | company under any applicable local, state or |
| feeding, genetic information, present or past | | | | federal laws. |