Caregiver Discrimination Protections on the Uptick

In 2009, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) drafted new, informal guidelines of sorts -  “Employer Best Practices for Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities” – to educate companies as to caregiver rights and protections in the workplace.

Earlier, in 2007, the EEOC had issued guidance explaining the circumstances under which discrimination against workers with caregiving responsibilities might constitute discrimination based on sex, disability or other characteristics protected by federal employment discrimination laws.

The 2009 information supplements the 2007 guidance by providing suggestions for best practices that employers may adopt to reduce the chance of EEO violations against caregivers, and to remove barriers to equal employment opportunity.

Perhaps not surprisingly, at least 63 local governments in 22 states – including some of the nation’s major urban areas – have taken matters into their owns hands. They have gone a step further, passing their own employment anti-discrimination laws that go beyond federal and state statutes to ensure that those with caregiving responsibilities are not discriminated against at work.