New York Employment Attorney Blog
Numerous employment statutes protect workers from employment discrimination in New York City on the basis of various protected categories. These laws’ prohibitions on sex or gender discrimination include sexual harassment in certain forms, including the use of sexual activity as a condition of employment, and patterns of sexually-oriented behavior that create a hostile work environment. These laws also prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who assert their legal rights. A lawsuit filed late last year alleges that supervisors at a security company, which was contracted to provide services at JFK International Airport in Queens, engaged in unwelcome and offensive conduct, including allegedly forcing the plaintiff to watch live video feeds of other employees engaging in sexual activity. Powell v. Allied Universal Security Services et al, No. 1:17-cv-06133, complaint (E.D.N.Y., Oct. 20, 2017). Several more employees have reportedly joined the case as plaintiffs in 2018.
The New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of gender, which includes sexual harassment. N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 8-107(1)(a). At the state level, the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) contains similar provisions. N.Y. Exec. L. § 296(1)(a). Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a federal statute, also provides similar protections, but it is not the only federal law that covers hostile work environment claims. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 specifically addresses racial discrimination in various areas, including employment, and prohibits “impairment” of “the full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings…as is enjoyed by white citizens.” 42 U.S.C. § 1981.
The lead plaintiff in Powell worked for the defendant at JFK Airport for four years, according to her complaint. She alleges that she was given a choice between “hav[ing] sex with male supervisors and get[ting] ahead,” or “refus[ing] and be[ing] relentlessly harassed and retaliated against.” Powell, complaint at 1. She states that she “chose the latter,” id., and therefore faced discrimination based on race and gender, followed by retaliation for reporting the discrimination.
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New York City’s employment antidiscrimination statute provides protection for workers who are responsible, outside of work, for providing care to certain individuals. The New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) prohibits discrimination by employers on the basis of caregiver status, as well as retaliation for reporting an alleged violation or opposing an allegedly unlawful practice. These provisions protect caregivers from losing their jobs in many situations, but they do not necessarily facilitate caregivers having time off from work to meet their responsibilities. A new law, enacted by the New York City Council in January 2018, allows caregivers to make “temporary changes” to their work schedules in certain situations. The law takes effect in mid-July 2018.
Asserting a claim for sexual harassment in New York City can be extremely harrowing, even with the city’s progressive employment laws. A claimant might risk professional or personal consequences for speaking out, which is why employees with similar allegations often seek to pool their resources and assert their claims as a group. A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, 
In New York City, sexual harassment claims are covered by federal, state, and city law. The New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) and the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) offer some of the most comprehensive protection against discrimination in the country. Sexual harassment in the workplace has received a considerable amount of media attention in the past year, and both New York State and New York City have responded by enacting a series of new laws addressing numerous aspects of workplace harassment. The New York State Legislature passed a budget bill, 
Over the past year, countless people have come forward with accounts of sexual harassment in the workplace. Known as the #MeToo movement, it began in the entertainment industry, and has expanded to include many other industries and professions. 
Sexual harassment is an unlawful form of sex discrimination under employment statutes in New York City and around the country. It is often a result of an individual taking advantage of their power or authority in the workplace over a subordinate. It could take the form of demands for sexual activity of some sort as a condition of employment, or a pattern of unwanted sexual remarks or advances. In either case, the alleged harasser relies to a large extent on the alleged victim’s inability to speak out directly against the behavior. Statutes like the New York City Human Rights Law and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 allow individuals who have experienced unlawful New York sexual harassment to file an administrative complaint, followed by a civil lawsuit. Some scenarios in which sexual harassment may occur, however, are not “workplaces” under the meaning of laws like Title VII. Sexual harassment can occur in academic settings, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 provides recourse in those situations. In late 2016, several former graduate students 
Recent media and public attention has helped shed light on sexual harassment in workplaces all over the country, including New York City. Employees have several means to fight back against such unlawful employment practices, but the attention to the issue since last fall has helped many employers identify and deal with individuals, policies, and practices that contribute to workplace sexual harassment. Laws like the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) allow employees to recover damages once New York City sexual harassment has occurred. The hope, of course, is that this attention will make workplace sexual harassment less common in general. 
Virtual reality (VR) technology has been a feature of science fiction for some time. The technology is quickly advancing, although it has not reached the level portrayed in books and movies. Devices are now available to consumers that allow them to play VR games, both alone and with other players online. VR technology may prove to be useful in 
State and federal anti-discrimination laws in New York prohibit a wide range of discriminatory acts and practices, as well as acts taken in retaliation for opposing or reporting alleged discrimination. Even if an employer is found not to be liable for overt discrimination, such as New York sexual harassment, it could still be liable for retaliation against those who complained of the alleged conduct. A university in upstate New York has been embroiled in 
New York City employment discrimination laws include express prohibitions against discrimination because of gender identity or gender expression. At the federal level, whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 contains similar protections depends on where the claim arises. Prior to 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) held that gender identity is covered by Title VII’s sex discrimination provisions. It filed suit in 2015 on behalf of a transgender woman alleging gender identity discrimination.