Compliance Stuff

At a Glance U.S. West Coast cities have expanded workplace anti-discrimination laws to recognize polyamorous and “non-normative family or relationship structures” as new protected categories.  No states have yet enacted similar laws, but states like CA, OR, and WA may face pressure to do so as more cities in those states recognize these new protections.  Cities along the U.S. West Coast and beyond are expanding workplace anti-discrimination laws to cover diverse family and relationship structures, including polyamorous and other “non-normative family or relationship structures.” Indeed, cities in multiple states have adopted such protections, including Oakland in California; Portland in Oregon; Cambridge in Massachusetts; and Olympia in Washington.  Some of the legislative histories of these laws state that individuals with “non-normative family or relationship structures” face discrimination in certain areas of life—including in the workplace—and seek to remedy such...

On May 1, 2025, the Minneapolis City Council voted to expand civil rights protections, effective August 1, 2025. Under the updated ordinance ( Ordinance No. 2025-022 ), it will be illegal for employers in Minneapolis to discriminate based on a person’s height, weight, criminal record or history (now referred to as “justice-impacted status”), or housing status. The amendments also redefine “race” and “familial status,” and impose additional requirements on employers when providing religious accommodations. Quick Hits Minneapolis employers must not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s height, weight, justice-impacted status, or housing status, unless there is a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception. Minneapolis employers must provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with known pregnancy-related limitations. Minneapolis employers must provide religious accommodations for sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on...

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a bill significantly amending the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) on May 15, 2024. The MHRA, otherwise known as Minnesota’s anti-discrimination statute, already prohibited discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, familial status, and age. The definitions of the protected classes covered by the MHRA were expanded , as were the remedies and enforcement capabilities of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR), the state agency responsible for enforcing the statute. Definition and Breadth of Protected Classes Expanded Protected Classes Under MHRA – “One or More”: The amendments specifically prohibit an employer from discriminating against an individual because of one or more of the identified protected classes. Definition of “Disability” Expanded: The definition of disability was expand...