North Dakota Human Rights Act — scope and covered employers
The North Dakota Human Rights Act (N.D. Cent. Code ch. 14-02.4) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and childbirth), national origin, age (40 and older), physical or mental disability, marital status, public-assistance status, and participation in lawful off-premises activity during nonworking hours that does not conflict with essential business-related interests. The Act covers employers who employ one or more employees for more than one quarter of the year — a materially broader threshold than the federal minimum of 15 employees (Title VII, ADA) or 20 (ADEA).
Source: N.D. Cent. Code § 14-02.4-01; N.D. Cent. Code § 14-02.4-02; N.D. Cent. Code § 14-02.4-03
Filing deadline and enforcement agency
An aggrieved person must file a written discrimination complaint with the North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights within 300 days of the most recent discriminatory event. The Department investigates complaints filed under the Human Rights Act and may also file complaints on its own initiative. Charges may be cross-filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under a work-sharing agreement, so filing with one agency satisfies the filing requirement for both.
Source: N.D. Cent. Code § 14-02.4-19; North Dakota Department of Labor — Employment Discrimination