On November 22, 2023, a new law came into effect in New York City imposing a ban on discrimination based on an individual’s height and/or weight in various fields including, but not limited to, employment, housing, and public accommodations. This law was signed off by Mayor Eric Adams on May 26, 2023. Furthermore, the legislation amends the existing New York City Human Rights law, incorporating “height” and “weight” to its list of the protective traits under the law. Foley Hoag LLP discusses the implications of this new law in their recent article.
Understanding the impact of this law is crucial for legal professionals, particularly those operating in large corporations and law firms as the landscape of anti-discrimination regulations becomes more encompassing. While the immediate application is seen in the context of NYC, the broader implications extend to companies and firms with NYC-based operations or those considering expansion to the area.
In light of the amendment, corporations and law firms should review and, if necessary, update their anti-discrimination policies, ensuring they incorporate protections around height and weight-based discrimination. Legal trainings might also need to be adjusted to educate employees about the extent of the prohibitions imposed by the new law.
In addition to this, employers may need to reconsider their recruitment, hiring, and promotional practices, including unintentional biases that could potentially be discriminatory based on height and weight. While the effects of this law are far-reaching, it leads the way to a more comprehensive approach to human rights, adding to the complexity and diversity of protective traits under legal frameworks.