Seattle Bans Caste Discrimination, NY Lifts Statute of Limitations for Sexual Assault Claims & More

Seattle Becomes First U.S. City to Ban Caste Discrimination

Seattle’s City Council passed an ordinance (CB 120511) prohibiting discrimination in various arenas, including employment and housing, based on caste, which it defines as “a system of rigid social stratification characterized by hereditary status, endogamy, and social barriers sanctioned by custom, law, or religion.” Some colleges have banned such discrimination, but Seattle is the first city to officially do so. (SHRM, SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL)

NY Temporarily Lifts Statute of Limitations for Sexual Assault Civil Suits

Legislation (SB 66) signed into law last May by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) established a one-year lookback window for adult victims of sexual assaults—including those that occurred in the workplace—to file civil claims against their abusers regardless of when the assaults happened. The window opened six months after the measure’s enactment, meaning the lookback period won’t end until November. (SHRM, NEW YORK GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, STATE NET)

Paid Leave Progressing in IL, MN

In January Illinois lawmakers passed and sent a bill (SB 208) to Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) that would grant workers in the state at least 40 hours of paid leave each year. Pritzker said he would sign the measure.

Minnesota’s House has passed a bill (HB 19) that would give workers 48 hours of paid medical leave each year. Another bill (HB 2) under consideration in the chamber would grant workers up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave each year. (PLURIBUS NEWS, ILLINOIS GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, STATE NET)

VA Workers Comp Commission Rules Preparing-for-Work Injury Compensable

The Virginia Workers Compensation Commission ruled that a worker injured while removing ice from his company truck at his home is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. The commission found that “the claimant’s workday began when he began preparing the company vehicle for operation, and he was in the course of the employment when he sustained his injuries.” (INSURANCE JOURNAL)

—Compiled by KOREY CLARK