Employment Decisions

Title VII, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law all prohibit making any employment decision — including recruitment, hiring, promotions, compensation, layoffs, or termination — because of a person's national origin.

Harassment

Federal, state, and city laws prohibit offensive conduct such as ethnic slurs, insults, or stereotypes that create a hostile work environment. Under the NYCHRL, the standard is more protective — harassment does not need to be "severe or pervasive" to be unlawful. Employers must take proactive steps to prevent and address harassment, and employees are encouraged to report concerns early.

Accent Discrimination

An employer cannot rely on an employee's foreign accent as the basis for an employment decision unless the accent genuinely and materially interferes with job performance.

English Fluency Requirements

A fluency requirement must be directly tied to the job's actual needs and effective performance, not based on preference or bias.

English-Only Rules

English-only workplace rules must have a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason, such as safety or operational efficiency, and should be as limited in scope as possible. Blanket rules applied at all times are rarely justified under New York law.