What is NYC’s Human Rights Law and how does it protect me?
A wheelchair assistance service company at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is facing serious charges for allegedly discriminating against Muslim employees. The NYC Commission on Human Rights filed religious discrimination claims against Pax Assist, Inc., which provides wheelchair assistance to passengers at one of the terminals in JFK. According to the charges, Pax reportedly denied Muslim employees break time to pray and observe Ramadan. Additionally, the company’s supervisors harassed Muslim employees for requesting break time over the radio system. These troubling allegations could result in civil penalties against Pax Assist, along with damages for the victims.
NYC’s Human Rights Law
New York City’s Human Rights Law is now one of the most powerful anti-discrimination laws in the nation. The law prohibits discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and housing on the basis of race, age, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, and partnership status. The law was amended in 2015 and 2016 to extend further protections in the arena of employment, which now includes protection against discrimination in employment based on arrest, unemployment status, conviction record, caregiver status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, sex offenses, or stalking.
Your Rights If You Are a Victim of Discrimination
Despite NYC’s strong anti-discrimination laws, discrimination in the workplace remains a rampant problem. If you feel that you are being discriminated against due to your race, age, gender, disability, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, or another protected factor, contact our New York City employment discrimination lawyers as soon as possible.
Workplace discrimination can be hard to identify. Discriminatory acts could include refusing to hire a potential employee on the basis of a protected characteristic, harassment, such as inappropriate jokes or name calling due to a protected class, wage discrimination, termination for an unlawful factor, and more. Employees who experience discrimination could be eligible to receive damages for their discriminatory treatment, restoration of their job, and other compensatory measures.