The Massachusetts Fair Employment Law declares that it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, military service, age, ancestry or disability.

IT IS UNLAWFUL:

Ø     to print or circulate any advertisement or use any application form that directly or indirectly specifies any limitation on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, military service, age, ancestry or disability.

Ø     to discharge or refuse to hire any individual on the basis of their race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, military service, age, ancestry or disability.

Ø     to discriminate against any individual in matters relating to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of their race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, military service, age, ancestry or disability.

Ø     to require a woman to leave her job at some arbitrary stage in her pregnancy or to refuse to let her return to work until a specified time set by the employer.

Ø     to refuse to grant a female employee at least eight weeks leave for purposes of childbirth or to treat her absence differently than any other absence due to disability.

Ø     to require an employee to remain at work during any day or part thereof that s/he observes as a religious holiday provided that the employee gives a ten-day notice and the absence does not cause undue hardship to the employer.

Ø     to discharge or refuse to hire any person because of their failure to furnish information concerning admission to a center for the treatment of mentally ill persons.

Ø     to discriminate against a job applicant for failure to furnish information, written or oral, concerning: A) an arrest, detention or disposition regarding a violation of law in which no conviction resulted; B) a first conviction for any of the following misdemeanors: driving under the influence, simple assault, speeding, minor traffic violations, disturbance of the peace; or C) conviction for a misdemeanor where the date of conviction or end of period of incarceration, if any, occurred more than five years prior to the employment application, and the applicant has not been convicted of any offense within the five years immediately before the date of application.

 RETALIATION: It is illegal to retaliate against any person because s/he has opposed any practices forbidden under this Chapter or because s/he has filed a complaint, testified, or assisted in any proceeding before the Commission. It is also illegal to aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doings of any of the acts forbidden under this Chapter or to attempt to do so.

COMPLAINTS All complaints must be filed in writing. Information on the filing of complaints can be obtained by contacting the MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION at the following locations: Boston office: One Ashburton Place, Room 601, Boston, MA 02108  or Springfield office: 436 Dwight Street, Suite 220, Springfield, MA 01103