Final answer:
New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination prohibits discrimination in both employment and housing, covering race, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, and disability. It ensures equality in hiring, firing, and other employment conditions, as well as fair housing practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination primarily forbids discrimination within the job market and housing sector. Specifically, this law prohibits discriminatory practices in any aspect of employment, which includes hiring, firing, compensation, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, training, fringe benefits, and other terms or conditions of employment. Moreover, it outlaws discrimination based on race, gender, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation, ensuring that all individuals have equal employment opportunities.
While Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides a federal baseline for prohibiting employment discrimination on these same grounds, New Jersey's law extends these protections. Additionally, it addresses issues of religious discrimination, ensuring that individuals are not treated unfavorably because of their religious beliefs, whether they are part of traditional organized religions or hold sincerely held religious, ethical, or moral beliefs. This includes making reasonable accommodations for religious practices, such as the wearing of head coverings by observant Muslims, which has been a contentious issue in some employment scenarios.
Beyond employment, these protections also apply to housing, safeguarding against discrimination based on race, gender, age, and disability, thereby promoting a fair and just community for all New Jersey residents.