A provision in Nebraska's LB694 quietly expanded workplace discrimination law—and most property management owners haven't adjusted their hiring practices yet.
Most Nebraska property management and real estate business owners don't realize that military and veteran status is now a protected class under state employment law. If you hire, fire, or make compensation decisions about employees, this matters—and it carries real legal risk if you're not compliant.
Effective with LB694, Nebraska amended Section 48-1104 of the Fair Employment Practice Act to prohibit employers from discriminating based on military or veteran status. That means you cannot make hiring, firing, promotion, pay, scheduling, or other employment decisions based on whether someone serves or has served in the military.
This applies to all employers in Nebraska—including small property management firms, real estate offices, and maintenance contractors. It doesn't matter if you have two employees or two hundred.
Under the law, military or veteran status is now treated the same way as race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. You cannot:
The risk is real. Violations can result in complaints filed with the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission, investigations, and potential civil liability—including back pay, damages, and attorney fees.
If you manage properties with staff, own a real estate brokerage, operate a property maintenance division, or run any business with employees, you're covered. This includes part-time and seasonal workers.
The amendment is found in Section 26 of LB694, specifically amending Section 48-1104, on page 34 of the bill. You should treat this as effective immediately and audit your hiring practices, job descriptions, interview questions, and employment policies now.
Review your hiring forms and interview scripts. Remove any questions about military service unless it's directly relevant to the job. Train managers and supervisors on the new rule. Make sure compensation and promotion decisions are documented and based on job performance, not military status. If you have an employee handbook, update it to reflect this protected class.
This is a straightforward compliance issue—not complicated, but easy to miss if you haven't been tracking recent Nebraska employment law changes. The cost of getting it wrong far exceeds the cost of getting ahead of it.
For a free, detailed guide to LB694's employment provisions specific to Nebraska property management and real estate businesses, contact your local chamber of commerce or trade association.