Forum Post: OWS-Scott Stringer is lobbying for new State/City laws banning discrimination against the unemployed. We absolutely need to support this!!!

UPDATE We need to back Scott Stringer (Manhattan Borough President) as he lobbies for state and city laws putting an end to discrimination against the unemployed. These laws would end overt discrimination against the unemployed. Please consider protesting in front of City Hall in support of new laws that protect the unemployed from this blatant discrimination.

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The practice of companies discriminating against unemployed people has gotten out of control in this country. These companies have even put it in their classified ads "Unemployed persons need not apply." This means anyone unemployed for any length of time cannot apply to these job ads.

President Obama has spoken out against it, and even had it put in his Job Bill that recently got shot down in Congress. If the Job Bill passed it would have made it unlawful for companies with 15 or more employees to discriminate against a person because of their unemployed status. It would also give them to right to sue a company that did so. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/us/politics/obama-proposes-adding-unemployed-to-protected-status.html

If we can't get a law(s) passed on a Federal level making unemployed people a protective class who cannot be discriminated against, then we must have it done on a state level. New Jersey has done this making it unlawful for companies to place job ads in the newspapers or online that discriminate against the unemployed. Any company who violates this law will be hit with fines that will increase for repeat offenders. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/25/new-jersey-bans-unemployed-job-discrimination_n_853513.html

The reason why companies have been embracing this unfair practice because they believe that any employee worth keeping would not have been laid off in the first place. This erroneous belief is shutting the door in the face on many who seek gainful employment, and have joined the ranks of the unemployed through no fault of their own as their employers were only making business decisions based on the bottom dollar and not on the employees contribution or performance to/within the company. I believe that as long as they(unemployed job applicants) have the experience, knowledge and skills that is suitable for the job advertised--then they should be considered for the job regardless of their unemployed status.

I think that if OWS also added this to their agenda it would help get more states to get on board and do the right thing, and to get an overall Federal law passed. The pressure needs to be put on for this to be done. What this discriminative practice is doing is creating a class of permanent unemployed people who are marginalized because of their present unemployed status. It has and will continue to put a huge strain on Government programs such as welfare and food stamps. These people rather work and not have to rely on these programs. We must unite against this unfair practice.

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I like to add to this that any laws passed would help squash overt discrimination against the unemployed (e.g. those job ads in the newspapers and online.) Someone on this post mentioned how it would be hard enforcing these laws. I agree that outside of overt discrimination it is not easy to prove. However, I believe that their should be watchdog groups that audit companies and see that there is no discriminating hiring practices. IF someone had a job candidate who was a perfect fit for the job (but was unemployed), the company needs to explain why they did not hire and fines would follow if they really did discriminate. Highly qualified unemployed people should be hired over those who presently have a job. This would be enforced to help chip away about our high unemployment numbers.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on this subject. This b.s. needs to end. I just can't believe that this goes on. Talk about adding insult to injury!