Employment Rights State Laws

This chart highlights the state laws related to employment rights, including fair employment laws, family responsibilities discrimination (FRD), credit checks, and social media privacy. Check back often, as this chart is updated frequently.

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StateHas Fair Employment Law (Covering Employers With Less Than 15 Employees):Family Responsibilities Discrimination (FRD) LawEmployees Protected Under FRD LawEmployers Subject to FRD LawHas Employer Credit Check LawHas Social Media Privacy law
ALABAMA1
ALASKAProhibits employers from refusing or baring people from employment, or discriminating against someone, because of their martial status, pregnancy, or parental responsibilities.http://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp#18.80.120Parents of childrenPrivate (1), state, political subdivisions of state
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS9 (but 15 for RA’s)x employers x universitieshttps://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Social-Media-Rule.pdf
CALIFORNIA5xhttp://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_22_bill_20111009_chaptered.pdfx employers x universitieshttp://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB1844
COLORADO2xhttps://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/Colorado%20Employment%20Opportunity%20Act%20%C2%A7%208-2-126%2C%20C.R.S.%20Sept%202019.pdfx employershttps://cdle.colorado.gov/workplace-conditions/social-media-and-the-workplace-law
CONNECTICUT3Prohibits employers from asking questions relating to their plans for child-bearing, pregnancy, reproductive system, use of birth control, or familial responsibilities.https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_814c.htm#sec_46a-60Not definedPrivate (3), state, state political subdivisionsxhttps://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/ACT/PA/2011PA-00223-R00SB-00361-PA.htmx employershttps://www.cga.ct.gov/2015/ACT/PA/2015PA-00006-R00SB-00426-PA.htm
DELAWAREProhibits employers from refusing to hire, limit, or in any other way discriminate (e.g., in terms of pay), against individuals because of their family responsibilities. Also protects pregnant peoples' right to reasonable accommodations.https://delcode.delaware.gov/title19/c007/sc02/Caregivers of their own spouse, own parent, and/or child with a serious health conditionPrivate (4), state, state political subdivisions or board, department, commission or school districtxhttps://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GetHtmlDocument?fileAttachmentId=46740x employers x universitieshttp://delcode.delaware.gov/title19/c007/sc01/index.shtml
*DISTRICT OF COLUMBIAProhibits employers from discriminating against individuals based on real or percieved family responsibilities, and specifies that pregnant people should not be treated differently than other employees with temporary disabilities.https://code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/code/sections/2-1402.11.htmlCaregivers of spouse, adult family members including your own parent, and parents of childrenPrivate (1), city, city government agenciesxx universitieshttps://code.dccouncil.us/us/dc/council/code/titles/38/chapters/8B/#
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
HAWAII1xhttp://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2009/bills/HB31_CD1_.pdfx employers x universitieshttps://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2021/bills/HB125_HD2_.HTM
IDAHO
ILLINOIS1xhttps://legiscan.com/IL/text/HB4658/id/21025x employers x universitieshttp://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/082000550K10.htm
INDIANA5
IOWA4
KANSAS4
KENTUCKY8
LOUISIANAx employers x universitieshttp://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?p=y&d=919875
MAINE1x employers + Commissioned a studyhttp://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/26/title26sec616.html
MARYLANDxx employers x universitieshttps://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gle§ion=3-712&enactments=false
MASSACHUSETTS6
MICHIGAN1x employers x universitieshttp://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(z0c0smyaquiypszmm2tzgqae))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-Act-478-of-2012
MINNESOTA1Prohibits employers from asking questions about and discriminating against people based on "familial status." This includes refusing to hire someone and creating a work environment that unreasonably excludes someone. Employers also cannot treat people affected by pregnancy differently than similarly-disabled individuals.https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/363A.08Parents or guardians living with at least one minor, pregnant people, and people in the process of securing legal custody of a minor.Private (1); state; state departments, agencies, and political subdivisions
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI6
MONTANA1x employershttps://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0390/chapter_0020/part_0030/section_0070/0390-0020-0030-0070.html
NEBRASKAx employershttp://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=48-3501
NEVADAxhttp://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/77th2013/Bills/SB/SB127.pdfx employershttp://www.leg.state.nv.us/Division/Legal/LawLibrary/NRS/NRS-613.html
NEW HAMPSHIRE6x employers x universitieshttp://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XXIII/275/275-74.htm
NEW JERSEY1State employees should be offered an equal opportunity for employment regardless of "familial status" (not defined), including in hiring, training, promotion, and layoff.https://www.state.nj.us/csc/about/about/regulations/pdf/Chapter%207%20Adoption%20Notice.pdfNot definedState employeesx employers x universitieshttps://repo.njstatelib.org/bitstream/handle/10929.1/24658/L2013c155.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
NEW MEXICO4x employers x universitieshttps://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13 Regular/final/SB0422.pdf
NEW YORK1Includes family status as a protected category under employment discrimination law, prohibiting employers from discriminating against parents with children and from refusing reasonable accomodations for people navigating "pregnancy-related conditions."https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EXC/296Parents of childrenPrivate (4), state, political subdivisions
NORTH CAROLINA
NORTH DAKOTA1
OHIO4
OKLAHOMAx employershttp://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=473604
OREGON6xhttps://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_lawsx employers x universitieshttps://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors659A.html
PENNSYLVANIA4
*PUERTO RICO
RHODE ISLAND4xx employers x universitieshttp://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/title28/28-56/INDEX.HTM
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH DAKOTA1
TENNESSEE8x employershttp://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/108/Bill/SB1808.pdf
TEXAS
UTAHx employers x universitieshttps://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title34/Chapter48/34-48-S201.html?v=C34-48-S201_1800010118000101
VERMONT1xhttp://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2012/bills/Passed/S-095.pdfx employers + Commissioned a studyhttps://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/21/005/00495l
VIRGINIA1x employers x universitieshttp://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/40.1-28.7:5
WASHINGTON8xhttps://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=19.182.020x employershttp://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=49.44.200
WEST VIRGINIA12x employershttp://www.wvlegislature.gov/wvcode/ChapterEntire.cfm?chap=21&art=5H§ion=1
WISCONSIN1x employers x universitieshttp://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/995/55
WYOMING2
GUAMx employershttp://www.guamcourts.org/CompilerofLaws/GCA/22gca/22gc003.PDF
Last Updated5/20229/20222/2022