Among the many laws taking effect today is one that prohibits employers from making hiring, firing or other work-related decisions because a person is a known victim of domestic or sexual violence.
Businesses are already barred from discriminating against people based on their race, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability or criminal record, and the state Legislature is adding domestic or sexual violence victim to the list.
"If they’re being displaced from a job that they’re performing well at simply because they’re a victim (of domestic or sexual violence) … that’s really not appropriate in the legislative view," said Sen. Roz Baker, a sponsor of the bill.
Baker said employers will now be required to provide employees who are victims of domestic or sexual abuse with reasonable accommodations in the work place, such as allowing them an excused day off work to testify in court to obtain a temporary restraining order against their abuser.
Baker cited an instance that spurred her to start drawing up the original bill about two years ago. A Maui woman was released from her job because it was determined she had "too much going on in her life" after she asked permission to receive a fax at work dealing with a temporary restraining order she was filing.
"Rather than saying there was anything wrong with her performance, they just relied on (a) stereotype," Baker said. "It’s like what they used to do to other kinds of minority groups, the same kind of stereotypical response."
The law also outlines that it will be within an employer’s rights to request that employees provide a signed, written statement — from court records, a lawyer, advocate, caregiver, clergy member or medical professional — to verify they, or their minor child, are actively recovering from domestic or sexual violence. The employer, however, can only ask for proof once every six months.
"Some people thought maybe women are going to try to scam this, but they obviously have never worked with (victims of abuse)," Baker said. "It’s so stigmatized and people are so traumatized, you’re not going to use something like that to gain the system."
Senate Bill 229 was passed in May and signed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie in July.
Baker said she hopes the law will help protect victims’ jobs because hard economic times tend to be associated with increases in domestic violence cases.