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Idaho has no state or federal protections to safeguard the freedoms of people who may be fired from
their jobs simply for being gay.
What the Bipartisan Legislation Would Do....
• Include the terms ”sexual orientation and gender identity” in Idaho’s Human Rights Act, which
charges the Idaho Human Rights Commission with investigating, mediating and seeking resolution to
complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, education and public services.
• The Human Rights Commission is charged with investigating the validity of complaints.
• The Idaho Human Rights Act was passed in the 1970s and now protects Idahoans on the basis of age,
religion, sex, national origin, and race. Disability was added in 2007.
• Companies with fi ve or more employees would be prohibited from using an individual’s sexual
orientation or personal expression of gender as the basis for employment decisions, such as hiring,
fi ring, promotion, or compensation.
Good Business Policy
• It is good business. Attracting and retaining the best workers is critical to containing costs in the
current marketplace. States who ensure fair treatment for all employees are at a competitive advantage.
• Training new workers is costly. Some studies put the cost of recruiting a new employee at $75,000.
• More than half the Fortune 500 Companies now include the terms sexual orientation
and or gender identity in their employment policies.
• Without non-discrimination policies, employees live in fear of being fi red. They may fear being seen
with their partner outside work, mentioning the gender of their partner in conversation or putting a
photograph of their partner on their desk as other employees may.
• Employees should be judged on job performance. Written non-discrimination policies improve
inclusiveness and increase productivity by alleviating personal stress that keeps employees from fully
focusing on work.
• A March 2000 Newsweek poll states “83 % of Americans say workers deserve job protection
regardless of sexual orientation.”
• The 2006 Statewide BSU Public Policy Survey found that 63 % of Idahoans and
a majority in every region of the state and both political parties think it should be illegal to fire someone
because they are or are perceived to be gay.
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