Wisconsin Code § 111.36

Sex, sexual orientation; exceptions and special cases
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this section
(1) Employment discrimination because of sex includes, but is not limited to, any of the following actions by any
employer, labor organization, employment agency, licensing
agency or other person:
(a) Discriminating against any individual in promotion, compensation paid for equal or substantially similar work, or in
terms, conditions or privileges of employment or licensing on the
basis of sex where sex is not a bona fide occupational
qualification.
(b) Engaging in sexual harassment; or implicitly or explicitly
making or permitting acquiescence in or submission to sexual harassment a term or condition of employment; or making or permitting acquiescence in, submission to or rejection of sexual harassment the basis or any part of the basis for any employment
decision affecting an employee, other than an employment decision that is disciplinary action against an employee for engaging
in sexual harassment in violation of this paragraph; or permitting
sexual harassment to have the purpose or effect of substantially
interfering with an employee’s work performance or of creating
an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. Under
this paragraph, substantial interference with an employee’s work
performance or creation of an intimidating, hostile or offensive
work environment is established when the conduct is such that a
reasonable person under the same circumstances as the employee
would consider the conduct sufficiently severe or pervasive to interfere substantially with the person’s work performance or to
create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.
(br) Engaging in harassment that consists of unwelcome verbal or physical conduct directed at another individual because of
that individual’s gender, other than the conduct described in par.
(b), and that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating,
hostile or offensive work environment or has the purpose or effect
of substantially interfering with that individual’s work performance. Under this paragraph, substantial interference with an
employee’s work performance or creation of an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment is established when the conduct is such that a reasonable person under the same circumstances as the employee would consider the conduct sufficiently
severe or pervasive to interfere substantially with the person’s
work performance or to create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.

(c) Discriminating against any woman on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, maternity leave or related medical conditions
by engaging in any of the actions prohibited under s. 111.322, including, but not limited to, actions concerning fringe benefit programs covering illnesses and disability.
(d) 1. For any employer, labor organization, licensing agency
or employment agency or other person to refuse to hire, employ,
admit or license, or to bar or terminate from employment, membership or licensure any individual, or to discriminate against an
individual in promotion, compensation or in terms, conditions or
privileges of employment because of the individual’s sexual orientation; or
2. For any employer, labor organization, licensing agency or
employment agency or other person to discharge or otherwise
discriminate against any person because he or she has opposed
any discriminatory practices under this paragraph or because he
or she has made a complaint, testified or assisted in any proceeding under this paragraph.
(2) For the purposes of this subchapter, sex is a bona fide occupational qualification if all of the members of one sex are physically incapable of performing the essential duties required by a
job, or if the essence of the employer’s business operation would
be undermined if employees were not hired exclusively from one
sex.
(3) For purposes of sexual harassment claims under sub. (1)
(b), an employer, labor organization, employment agency or licensing agency is presumed liable for an act of sexual harassment
by that employer, labor organization, employment agency or licensing agency or by any of its employees or members, if the act
occurs while the complaining employee is at his or her place of
employment or is performing duties relating to his or her employment, if the complaining employee informs the employer, labor
organization, employment agency or licensing agency of the act,
and if the employer, labor organization, employment agency or licensing agency fails to take appropriate action within a reasonable time.

‹ Prev All Wisconsin sections Next ›


Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.