Violations
Discrimination & Harassment
Last updated September 3, 2025It is illegal for employers to discriminate against a worker on the basis of their membership in a protected class, including but not limited to race, gender, religion, disability and pregnancy, and national origin. This applies to both the treatment of employees (work environment) and job applicants (hiring). In addition to unfair treatment, discrimination can include harassment (sexual and other types of harassment), denial of a reasonable workplace accommodation, disclosure requirements of medical information, or retaliation for reporting violations. Enforcement against employment discrimination is carried out by several regulatory agencies: the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) at the federal level, the New York State Division of Human Rights (“DHR”) at the state level, and the New York City Commission on Human Rights (“CCHR”) at the city level. Prosecutorial entities (attorneys general and district attorneys) are also authorized to pursue discrimination cases, and workers may file private lawsuits. New York City has a more expansive list of protected categories than its federal and state counterparts. Workers in New York City are protected against discrimination arising from their criminal conviction history, credit history, and caregiver status. Below is a selection of some significant settlements and outcomes in cases with employers located in New York City negotiated by regulatory agencies and/or through private litigation.
CCHR Settlements
CCHR Settlements for Employer Discrimination and Harassment, 2024
CCHR Settlements for Employer Discrimination and Harassment, 2023
Includes CCHR employment discrimination cases that are publicly available and settled in 2023 and 2024. In addition to monetary payments, many CCHR settlements stipulate affirmative relief, examples of which include changes in an employer’s internal policy, agency monitoring, and training. Read more about the work done by CCHR in their annual reports.
EEOC Settlements
EEOC Settlements, NYC Employers 2020-2024
Includes cases settled in 2020, 2021,2022, 2023, and 2024 where the worksite was within New York City using data obtained from the EEOC’s press releases.
Legal Settlements
Legal Settlements, Discrimination and Harassment, New York City Employers, 2020-2024
Includes cases that were settled in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 for harassment and/or discrimination where the worksite was entirely or partially located within New York City. For prosecutorial agencies, data from each agency’s press releases were utilized. The New York State Division of Human Rights cases are Commissioner’s Orders and data from Board Orders posted on the agency’s website were utilized. For the private litigation settlements, all cases were filed in either of the following US District Courts; Southern District of New York and Eastern District of New York.