The Law Office of Richard Vaznaugh

Expertise in Workplace Rights for California Workers

The Law Office of Richard Vaznaugh
220 Montgomery Street
Suite 2100
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 593-0076
Fax: (415) 653-8935

Marital and Parental Status Discrimination: State Law

Marital and parental status discrimination, also called familial status discrimination, is discrimination in the workplace based on whether an employee is married or single, or whether they have children or not. Employers may discriminate based on marital or parental status when they deny employment or promotions, harass, pay less, or otherwise take negative employment action against an employee because of the employee’s status as a parent, or as a single or married person. State laws on marital and parental status discrimination are varied. Some states do not have laws that protect employees from this type of discrimination, some states protect both marital and parental status, and some only one or the other. Read below to find out generally about your state’s laws, and check back for detailed updates to this page in the near future. 

Alabama
Alabama state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Alaska
Alaska prohibits discrimination on the basis of marital or parental status.

Arizona
Arizona state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Arkansas
Arkansas state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

California
California prohibits discrimination on the basis of marital status and childbirth.

Colorado
Colorado state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Connecticut
Connecticut bars discrimination on the basis of marital status.

Delaware
Delaware bars discrimination on the basis of marital status.

District of Columbia
The District of Columbia bars familial discrimination.

Florida
Florida state law bars discrimination based on marital status.

Georgia
Georgia state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Hawaii
Hawaii bars discrimination on the basis of familial status.

Idaho
Idaho state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Illinois
Illinois bars discrimination on the basis of familial status.

Indiana
Indiana state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Iowa
Iowa bars discrimination based on parental status.

Kansas
Kansas state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Kentucky
Kentucky bars discrimination on the basis of parental status.

Louisiana
Louisiana bars parental status discrimination.

Maine
Maine prohibits discrimination based on breastfeeding.

Minnesota
Minnesota bars marital and familial status discrimination.

Mississippi
Mississippi state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Missouri
Missouri state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Montana
Montana bars discrimination based on marital status.

Nebraska
Nebraska bars discrimination based on marital and familial status.

Nevada
Nevada state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

New Hampshire
New Hampshire state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

New Jersey
New Jersey bars discrimination based on marital status.

New Mexico
New Mexico state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

New York
New York bars discrimination based on marital status.

North Carolina
North Carolina state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

North Dakota
North Dakota bars marital status discrimination.

Ohio
Ohio bars familial status and marital status discrimination.

Oklahoma
Oklahoma bars familial status discrimination.

Oregon
Oregon bars familial and marital status discrimination.

Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania bars discrimination based on familial discrimination.

Rhode Island
Rhode Island state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

South Carolina
South Carolina bars discrimination based on familial status.

Tennessee
Tennessee state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Texas
Texas bars discrimination on the basis of familial status.

Utah
Utah bars discrimination on the basis of familial status.

Vermont
Vermont state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.

Virginia
Virginia prohibits both familial and marital status discrimination.

Washington
Washington bars discrimination based on marital status.

West Virginia
West Virginia bars discrimination based on marital status.

Wisconsin
Wisconsin prohibits discrimination based on marital status.

Wyoming
Wyoming state law does not prohibit familial status discrimination.