financetom
Economy
financetom
/
Economy
/
US states sue over EEOC's policy on transgender workers
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
US states sue over EEOC's policy on transgender workers
May 14, 2024 8:38 AM

(Reuters) - A group of Republican-led U.S. states filed a lawsuit seeking to block the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from enforcing broad legal protections for transgender workers.

The 18 states filed the complaint in federal court in Knoxville, Tennessee, late Monday. They said the federal workplace bias agency lacked the power to assert that federal law requires employers to use transgender workers' preferred pronouns and allow them to use bathrooms that match their gender identity.

The commission last month updated its guidance on workplace harassment for the first time in 25 years, including positions that reflect a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said discriminating against gay and transgender workers is a form of unlawful sex bias.

The EEOC in the guidance said denying accommodations to transgender workers amounts to workplace harassment based on sex.

But the states in their lawsuit said federal law is much narrower, protecting workers from being fired because they are transgender but not requiring employers to take affirmative steps to accommodate them.

"EEOC has no authority to resolve these highly controversial and localized issues, which are properly reserved for Congress and the states," they said.

A spokesman for the commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Guidance is meant to direct the enforcement activities of EEOC staff, who investigate worker complaints and can broker settlements or file lawsuits against employers, and is not legally binding. Agencies have argued in past cases that enforcement guidance cannot be reviewed in court.

But the states in Monday's lawsuit said the commission's guidance marks a significant change in the agency's reading of federal law and will force some employers to change practices to avoid EEOC complaints and lawsuits by workers.

The states also claim that the guidance is invalid because the commission's structure as an independent agency violates the U.S. Constitution. They say that the U.S. president, who appoints the EEOC's five commissioners, should be able to remove them at will.

A mostly identical group of states also made those claims in a lawsuit filed last month challenging an EEOC rule that gives workers who have abortions the same legal protections as those who are pregnant or recently gave birth.

Monday's lawsuit is led by Tennessee and joined by Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, among other states.

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
April Chicago Fed National Activity Index Falls Further Below Breakeven Point
April Chicago Fed National Activity Index Falls Further Below Breakeven Point
May 23, 2024
08:45 AM EDT, 05/23/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The Chicago Federal Reserve Bank's monthly National Activity Index fell to a reading of minus 0.23 in April from a minus 0.04 reading in March, compared with expectations a reading of 0.13 in survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:35 am ET. The three-month moving average rose to 0.01 from minus...
US Dollar Falls Early Thursday Ahead of Busy Data Schedule
US Dollar Falls Early Thursday Ahead of Busy Data Schedule
May 23, 2024
07:34 AM EDT, 05/23/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The US dollar fell against its major trading partners early Thursday ahead of the release of weekly jobless claims and the Chicago Federal Reserve's national index for April, both at 8:30 am ET. S&P Global's flash estimates of May manufacturing and services conditions are set to be published at 9:45 am ET, followed...
US weekly jobless claims fall as labor market remains solid
US weekly jobless claims fall as labor market remains solid
May 23, 2024
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to underlying strength in the labor market that should continue to support the economy. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 215,000 for the week ended May 18, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters...
US Dollar Pares Losses After Initial Jobless Claims Fall More Than Expected
US Dollar Pares Losses After Initial Jobless Claims Fall More Than Expected
May 23, 2024
08:41 AM EDT, 05/23/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The US dollar pared losses against major currencies like the euro, pound, and yen during early North American trade on Thursday after initial jobless claims fell more than was expected for the week ending May 18. EUR/USD and GBP/USD ebbed from session highs around 1.0852 and 1.2745 respectively while USD/JPY climbed from intraday...
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved