To fight hiring discrimination, make sure worker protections don’t backfire

Last month, New York City added height and weight to a lengthy list of legally protected characteristics. It’s the latest provision, common in federal and state law, designed to limit workplace discrimination, promote the interests of specific workers or ensure some other meaningful outcome. 

But while certain labor laws can make a difference, others can backfire in ways that inadvertently encourage discrimination.

Case in point: In forthcoming research, we find that states...