From Deseret News archives:
Measure would expand claims of discrimination
Attorney Robert Wilde told the Business and Labor Interim Committee on Wednesday that amending the the Utah Anti-Discrimination Act to lower the minimum number of employees required for employer coverage under the act would be beneficial in several ways.
The Utah act currently applies to companies with 15 or more workers, but Wilde said lowering the level to five or more workers would protect more companies from facing general damages such as those awarded for emotional distress, punitive damages and awards for "front pay," meaning lost wages an employee might experience in the future.
Workers filing a claim under the act also would likely face lower legal costs because they typically represent themselves through most of the process and only 5 percent of claims reach a point where the worker would need to hire a lawyer, he said.
Wilde cited three cases in Utah in which workers filed age, sexual or pregnancy-related claims but later were deemed by courts to have had no claim because their employers had fewer than 15 workers and therefore were not covered by the state act.
Wilde said a draft bill has not yet been written but likely will come before lawmakers in the future. But he expects it to add no costs to state government.
"The fiscal note that would be associated with this modification of the statute probably would be zero dollars," he told the committee. "It is not going to be a burden on employers who use common sense and fairness in the workplace ...."
Recent comments
Dave
You are right on the money!
Attorney, Robert Wilde,
is...
businessman | Sept. 23, 2007 at 6:47 p.m.
The state may not suffer incremental costs, thus the fiscal note...
Dave | Sept. 20, 2007 at 11:37 p.m.
- Chanticleer never sounded better 6:21 p.m.
- Lostroh wins first PBR world title 6:13 p.m.
- NASCAR: Kurt Busch wins at Texas 6:10 p.m.
- Westbrook out against Cowboys 6:09 p.m.
- Chargers stun Giants, 21-20 6:05 p.m.
- Transactions 6:02 p.m.
- Suns slow to shine in daytime 5:55 p.m.
- Ching's goal lifts Dynamo 5:53 p.m.
- Talk of shorter hoops season 5:48 p.m.
- Falcons beat Redskins, 31-17 5:46 p.m.
- Gay advocates trek to LDS office
214 - Dirk does dirty work in Dallas
190 - House passes health care bill
188 - Lobo suspended
173 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
148 - Speed has never been BYU's game
136 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
118 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - Thousands protest health bill
102 - Provo company innovating engines
98
Uncle George. Refs and coaches have to take the blame on this one. I've...
the team that has ahead of utah in the 4th quarter? The answer is to stay...
This is interesting to read from the Captain.
I actually think TCU is better than Alabama, but I don't think the Frogs are...
You do realize that cuts both ways, don't you? Last year going into the...
The Fire isn't playing particularly well right now. This is a game we can win.
I can too say something good about my team... just let me think for a...
Um, you mean 2 undefeated non-BCS teams. Cinci is from the Big LEAST. ...
HA HA HA HA.... Get real guy. No way its going to happen. TCU is the real...
So everyone is repeating what we know: TCU is good. I don't deny this. But...

