Proposed New Jersey Law Would Penalize Employers For Discriminating Against Unemployed - HuffPo

[WillyT]

Jesus... so it's come to this...

Proposed New Jersey Law Would Penalize Employers For Discriminating Against Unemployed
Laura Bassett - HuffingtonPost
First Posted: 10-13-10 04:07 PM | Updated: 10-13-10 04:09 PM

<snip>

A new, unprecedented statute proposed in the New Jersey State Legislature would impose fines up to $10,000 per violation for employers who post job ads that attempt to explicitly exclude unemployed applicants.

Assemblyman Peter Barnes (D-Middlesex), a primary sponsor of the bill, said the discriminatory ads are a "double-whammy" for the population of New Jersey, whose unemployment rate currently hovers at 9.5 percent.

"The massive unemployment we've seen in New Jersey since September 2008 really has not leveled off," Barnes told HuffPost. "It certainly is as low as other parts of the country, like Michigan, with high levels of people who are very well educated and have a lot of skills and experience. It hurts the people looking for job, and it hurts employers too, because the employer takes a whole pool of people out of consideration who would probably fit the bill. It's kind of a double-whammy."

Barnes said he originally imagined a statute that would consider the unemployed a protected group under state civil rights laws along with women, minorities, and the handicapped, but some of his colleagues felt the bill would be "too broad."

"A lot of people felt like we don't really need that kind of protection for all unemployed people under the Civil Rights Act, so this is another bill that sort of grew from that one," Barnes said.

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More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/13/new-law-proposed-in-new-j_n_761570.html

:wtf:

:banghead:

:beer:

:smoke:

[Donnachaidh]

1. It's a good start -- but these companies should be outed publicly

People should be told who they are, so they can choose to NOT buy their products or services in the future.

[WillyT]

2. Most Excellent Point !!!

:applause::applause::applause:

:hi:

:kick:

[McCamy Taylor]

3. It's a backhand form of age discrimination since employers are laying off their oldest right now.

[WillyT]

4. Yep... The Younger Tend To Come Cheaper

:shrug:

:hi: