Our newest report, “Clarification or Complaints? The Impact of Family Responsibilities Discrimination Laws on State Enforcement Agencies” explores whether and to what extent family caregiver discrimination laws increase the number of complaints filed with state agencies tasked with enforcing them.
WorkLife Law research found that in states that prohibit discrimination against family caregivers, the average total number of discrimination complaints filed with state enforcement agencies decreased in the years following enactment of caregiver discrimination statutes. This finding builds on WorkLife Law’s earlier research which found that the annual likelihood a company will be sued under a caregiver discrimination law is essentially zero (0.001%). Researchers believe that explicitly labeling the protected category of workers keeps litigation rates and agency complaint rates low by providing clarity that may help employers understand their legal obligations.