Lawmakers Respond to Growing Reports of Workplace Discrimination based on Caste
New York state lawmakers are considering a bill that would make “caste” a protected class under state laws governing discrimination in the workplace. Caste is a societal system that labels individuals based primarily on heredity or descent, commonly assigning them to categories such as “high,” “low,” or “untouchable.” Most commonly associated with India, the caste system is in fact deeply entrenched in cultures across South Asia, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. It’s found to a lesser extent in Japan and on the African continent.
Over the past decade, reports of work-placed discrimination based on caste have become more commonplace. Often, it starts with something as simple as a refusal to eat at the same table with a person from a different caste. Because anti-discrimination laws did not specifically make caste a protected class, individuals facing wrongful or disparate treatment at work based on caste were often without remedy. Those who complained were often terminated or subjected to other workplace mistreatment.
In other states, such as Washington and California, attempts to identify caste as a protected class have met with organized opposition from right-wing Hindi groups, which oppose any visibility of caste.
While no states have successfully make caste a protected class, Seattle became the first municipality to ban caste-based discrimination in 2023.
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