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Beyond the federally protected classes (which include race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, and veteran status), Massachusetts regulates discrimination on the basis of genetic information, sexual orientation and gender identity, criminal record, and admission to a facility for treating mental illness.
Employer defined
The state law covers employers of six or more employees.
“Employer” does not include a club exclusively social, or a fraternal association or corporation, if not organized for private profit, nor does it include any employer with fewer than six persons in his employ, but does include the commonwealth and all political subdivisions, boards, departments and commissions.
Unlawful employment practices
The unlawful employment practices regarding genetic information and sexual orientation are essentially the same as those for other protected groups such as age, gender, or national origin.
Genetic information
Massachusetts General Law makes it discriminatory for an insurance company or employer to use genetic information in any way. The law aims to protect individuals’ right to keep genetic test results private, and ensures that genetic information will not be used to a person’s disadvantage by insurance companies or employers. The law prohibits disclosure of genetic test results without the individual’s consent, any requirement of genetic test results as a condition of employment or insurance, and discrimination by insurance companies based on genetic test results.
Employers are forbidden to use genetic information in making decisions relating to an employee or prospective employee. Employers may not require or induce disclosure of genetic information or submission to testing. Employers who require employees to undergo medical examination should confirm that the medical examination does not require the disclosure of genetic information. Employers should ensure that genetic information is not inadvertently provided to them, and that no employee’s file includes genetic information of any kind.
It is unlawful for an employer to:
Criminal record
It is illegal for an employer to ask certain questions about a job applicant’s or employee’s criminal record. Employers may not ask about, maintain a record of, or base any employment decision on the following information if they have requested it:
An employer may not take action against an applicant or employee for answering an unlawful question untruthfully. An employer may ask:
It is also illegal for an employer to request from an applicant or employee a copy of a probation or arrest record, or to ask an applicant or employee to sign a release permitting access to such information. An employer that applies for and is granted access to criminal record information by the Massachusetts Criminal History Systems Board under the Criminal Record Information Act (CORI) may obtain some information on applicants’/employees’ criminal records. Access to information under CORI is limited to that which is necessary to perform the relevant criminal justice or statutory duties.
Treatment for mental illness
It is an unlawful practice for an employer to refuse to hire or employ, or to bar or discharge from employment (unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification) any person by reason of his or her failure to furnish information regarding admission, voluntarily or involuntarily, to any public or private facility for the care and treatment of mentally ill persons, provided that he has been discharged and can prove by a psychiatrist’s certificate that he is mentally competent to perform the job for which he is applying.
No application for employment may contain any questions or requests for information regarding the admission of an applicant, voluntarily or involuntarily, to any public or private facility for the care and treatment of mentally ill persons, provided that the applicant has been discharged and is no longer under treatment directly related to such admission.
Transgender status
In addition to prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity, Massachusetts law specifically requires employers to allow transgender individuals to use restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identities.
Crown Act
The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (“CROWN”) Act—which bans discrimination based on natural and protective hairstyles in all workplaces, public schools, and places of public accommodation (such as restaurants, retail shops and more) in Massachusetts. went into effect on October 24, 2022.
The CROWN Act specifically prohibits discrimination based on “traits historically associated with race,” including hair texture, hair type, and “protective hairstyles.” According to the new law, the term “protective hairstyle” includes, but is not limited to, braids, locks, twists, Bantu knots, hair coverings, and other formations.
Contact
Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
Regulations
Mass. General Laws Chapter 151B, Unlawful Discrimination Because of Race, Color, Religious Creed, National Origin, Ancestry, or Sex
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXI/Chapter151b
Contact
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Regulations
See applicable discrimination topic.