DE Under 3: EEOC Consent Decree Illustrated Enforcement Stance Regarding Natural Hair Texture & Race Discrimination
Illegal or ill-mannered? Title VII meets Ms. Manners
Employment Law Now: Volume 3 Episode 45- Part 1 of 2 Back From The Summer Hiatus
The workplace landscape has shifted, and with it, employee attire. As employees return to the office, many opt for more casual wear, such as jeans and polo shirts, or even summer-appropriate clothing like tank tops and...more
In the spirit of the season, we are using our annual "12 Days of California Labor and Employment" blog series to address new California laws and their impact on employers. On the third day of the holidays, my labor and...more
Governor Newsom recently signed an amendment to the CROWN Act (which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair”) extending the Act’s reach. Specifically, the amendment, Assembly Bill 1815, makes two...more
With the Governor’s September 30 deadline to sign bills behind us, we review the employment bills that made the cut to become laws, as well as those that didn’t survive the season. The most notable new laws read...more
On July 24, 2024, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Hon. Pedro Pierluisi, signed into law Senate Bill 1282, the Law Against Discrimination Based on Hair Styles. This law adopts as public policy the express prohibition of...more
Colorado recently amended its CROWN Act of 2020 to include hair length as a protected characteristic for purposes of the state’s nondiscrimination law....more
While federal employment laws set nationwide standards, state and local laws often go well beyond – not only creating additional compliance obligations but also a patchwork of workplace rights to navigate. These laws vary...more
Attendees of Ward and Smith’s recent annual Employment Law Symposium received insights on key employment law developments in an interactive discussion between Emily Massey, a labor and employment attorney, and Tom...more
As year-end approaches, companies, both large and small, are busy closing out 2023 and putting plans in place for 2024. A key priority that should not be neglected as you make preparations to close out an old year and start a...more
Hair. In some religions it is considered a sacred gift from God that should not be cut. In other religions, it must be styled, covered, or cut in particular ways. These religious practices may result in employees’ requesting...more
The state of Texas is experiencing some Texas-size changes in discrimination and harassment law, including changes to where claims can be filed, who can sue whom, and what standards are used. Join Houston office managing...more
The Texas legislature meets only for approximately six months every other year. This session, many bills signed into law impact employers. This article summarizes some of these new laws and how they impact employment...more
As we have previously reported, the most recent Minnesota legislative session resulted in a number of new laws that affect employers with Minnesota-based employees. We have issued client alerts about Minnesota’s new law...more
Although not widespread, ordinances prohibiting discrimination based on natural hairstyles and textures are not completely foreign to Florida, and amidst a perceived rise in “anti-wokeness,” employers in the Sunshine State...more
Maine recently wrapped a busy 2023 legislative session that brought several significant legal changes relevant for employers. Those changes include increasing the cap on damages for violations of the Maine Human Rights Act...more
Governor Greg Abbott recently signed House Bill No. 567, also known as the CROWN Act, into law. Following the bill’s enactment on September 1, 2023, Texas law will prohibit race-based hair discrimination in employment,...more
The State of Texas infrequently regulates the workplace. This summer, however, Texas enacted two notable workplace laws about which employers should be aware....more
On June 17, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (“PHRC”) passed new regulations under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (“PHRA”) that will go into effect on Aug. 16. The PHRA prohibits discrimination in employment...more
Michigan is the latest state to expand its legal definition of race as a protected class to include hairstyle descriptors. As we recently explained, legislation with the acronym for “Creating a Respectful and Open Work for...more
On June 15, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill into law amending Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (“ELCRA”) to expand the definition of race to ban natural hairstyle discrimination. The amendment went...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Natural hairstyles have become increasingly popular among Black Americans of both sexes. Despite their popularity, these hairstyles have been overregulated frequently in the workplace. To address this...more
On June 15, 2023, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 90, which amends the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (“ELCRA”) to prohibit discrimination based on traits historically associated with race, such as hair...more
In recent years, there has been a growing movement to ban discrimination against natural hairstyles. This movement was cultivated by the introduction of the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (“CROWN”) Act,...more
Texas has now joined 20 other states and various local jurisdictions that ban discrimination based on hairstyle through the Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act (the “CROWN Act”), which will go into...more
On May 12, 2023, Lexington became the fourth city in Kentucky to protect hairstyles under its local anti-discrimination ordinances. The Lexington CROWN Act (Ordinance No. 49-2023), an acronym for "Creating a Respectful and...more