Sommerville, Massachusetts may be leading the way to developing a new protected class
Most employers are familiar with various legally protected classes, such as race, ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, pregnancy, etc., and the concurrent prohibitions regarding discriminating against these protected classes. Sommerville, Massachusetts just led the way with a new protected class – individuals with multiple-partner relationships. Whether other jurisdictions will follow suit, remains to be seen - but this interesting municipal ordinance is a reminder to employers that the law is always developing and that employers with employees in multiple jurisdictions, should be mindful of different laws down to the municipal level.
