Keith Markel, Alana Mildner Smolow and Kayla West Publish Article in Bloomberg Law on NYC’s New Weight and Height Bias Ban

Keith Markel, Alana R. Mildner Smolow and Kayla West published an article in Bloomberg Law explaining the impact of the new law that prohibits businesses from discriminating based on body size, and how to comply with the law’s provisions.

In “NYC’s Weight and Height Bias Ban Impacts Holiday Retailers,” the authors discussed the new prohibitions under the New York City Human Rights Law that took effect on November 26 and how retail stores are obligated to prevent such discrimination as places of public accommodation (relating to patrons) and as employers (relating to job applicants and employees). The new law prohibits businesses, based on an individual’s actual or perceived weight, height, or body size, to directly or indirectly engage in certain unlawful discriminatory practices, such as refusing or denying its services or refusing to hire or to continue to employ someone.

The authors caution retailers, employers and places of public accommodation to review and update their policies, practice and training materials to abide by the new weight and height related anti-discrimination laws or risk operational and financial penalties.

Read the full article here.