Look, New Jersey doesn’t mess around regarding protecting workers. The state has some serious muscle behind its employment discrimination laws. What is the big one you need to know about? It’s called the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, or LAD for short.
What’s protected? (Pretty Much Everything That Matters)
Think about who you are – your race, where your family’s from, who you love, whether you’re expecting a baby, if you served in the military, or even your DNA. New Jersey says none of that should cost you a job or a promotion. Period.
For the record (and this is the legal part), protection extends to:
- Your race, beliefs, skin color, and where your ancestors came from
- Your gender identity and sexual orientation
- Whether you’re married, in a civil union, or have a domestic partner
- Any disabilities (including ones people think you have, even if you don’t)
- Pregnancy stuff (including breastfeeding)
- Being over 18 (yeah, age discrimination is real)
- Your genetic information
- Military service
What’s not allowed? (The Bad Stuff Employers Can’t Do)
Here’s where it gets real. Your boss can’t:
- Show you the door because of any of those protected characteristics
- Pay you less because you’re a woman (or for any other protected reason)
- Pass you up for promotion because of who you are
- Make your life miserable with harassment
- Ignore reasonable requests for religious or disability accommodations
When work becomes a nightmare (Hostile Work Environment)
Sometimes it’s not one big thing – it’s death by a thousand cuts. If your workplace becomes toxic because of discrimination or harassment, that’s illegal too. This includes everything from inappropriate touching to constant “jokes” about your accent.
Fighting back (Your Options)
Let’s say your employer crosses the line. You’ve got choices:
- Take it to the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights
- Head straight to state court
And here’s the kicker – they can’t punish you for standing up for yourself. That’s illegal too.
What you can get (The Remedies)
If you win your case, you could receive:
- The money you lost
- Your job back
- Cash for emotional distress
- In terrible cases, punitive damages (that’s extra money to punish the employer)
The federal backup
Remember, you’ve also got Uncle Sam in your corner. Federal laws like Title VII, the ADA, and the ADEA add extra protection, though they usually only apply to bigger companies.
