As anticipated, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has submitted to the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking to consider moving marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances...more
New legal requirements in California and across the country will soon change the way businesses, in particular restaurants, must operate as the government seeks to eliminate the practice of “drip pricing” – i.e., advertising...more
New York recently prohibited employers from disciplining employees who refuse to attend meetings or listen to communications where the “primary purpose” is for management to express its views on religious or political...more
On Sept. 6, 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law an amendment to the New York Penal Law that strengthens penalties for employers found to have committed “wage theft.” This amendment goes into effect immediately. The...more
Connecticut businesses have until August 31, 2023 to offer a retirement savings plan to employees. In 2016, the Connecticut General Assembly enacted Public Act 16-29, which created the Connecticut Retirement Security...more
As COVID-19 cases increase in New York, employers are reminded that the state continues to mandate paid COVID-19 sick leave in most cases. Unlike paid COVID-19 leave under the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act,...more
Employers advertising for jobs in New York City will soon be required to include the salary range for the position in their advertisements.
On December 15, 2021, the New York City Council passed an amendment to the New...more
New York City has made significant changes to its Key to NYC mandatory vaccination requirements for indoor dining, gyms and entertainment venues. As of December 14, 2021, children between the ages of five and eleven must show...more
12/15/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Entertainment Venues ,
Executive Orders ,
Immunization Records ,
Mayor de Blasio ,
Minor Children ,
New York ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports
Effective Monday, December 13, 2021, anyone entering an indoor public place in New York State must wear a face covering unless all individuals who enter that space are required to be vaccinated from COVID-19, pursuant to a...more
New York City’s Key to NYC mandate for indoor dining, gyms and entertainment venues is now in effect. Below are the requirements of the mandate as set forth in the various Executive Orders that have been issued, as well as in...more
10/6/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Documentation ,
Entertainment Venues ,
Executive Orders ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Masks ,
New York ,
Pregnancy ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Religious Exemption ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports ,
World Health Organization
As hospitality establishments in New York City are well-aware, starting on September 13, 2021, the city will impose fines on restaurants, bars and event venues that do not comply with the Key to NYC vaccination mandate. As it...more
Yet again, New York City has updated the requirements of the Key to NYC vaccination mandate for indoor dining, fitness and entertainment venues. On August 20, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio issued Emergency Executive Order No....more
The New York City Commission on Human Rights has issued guidance for businesses on the accommodations they must provide employees and customers in response to New York City’s “Key to NYC” mandatory vaccination requirements...more
8/19/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Entertainment Venues ,
Executive Orders ,
Human Rights ,
Leave of Absence ,
New York ,
Popular ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Beliefs ,
Remote Working ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports
New York City has continued to update the “Key to NYC" requirements since the initial Executive Order was published August 16, 2021. After we released our prior alert discussing the “Key to NYC” mandatory vaccination...more
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio issued an Executive Order on August 16, 2021 setting forth the requirements of the “Key to NYC” vaccine mandate that was announced earlier this month for indoor dining, gyms and...more
8/17/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Hospitality Industry ,
New York ,
Popular ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations ,
World Health Organization
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on June 15, 2021 that New York State’s COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines would be immediately lifted across commercial industries in the state, including restaurants, bars and nightclubs....more
6/17/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Masks ,
New York ,
OSHA ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations
Effective May 19, 2021, New York State will adopt the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People (CDC Guidance). As Gov. Andrew Cuomo previously announced, the State on that...more
5/20/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Public Transportation ,
Religious Exemption ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
New York City hospitality employers face a myriad of requirements under federal, state, and local laws.
This employment law "checklist" provides a guide for such businesses in order to ensure that they are onboarding new...more
5/7/2021
/ Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Compliance ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hospitality Industry ,
New York ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Personnel Records ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Separation Agreement ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Termination ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements
Employees in New York state will soon be entitled to paid leave to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A new bill recently passed by the state legislature entitles employees to up to four hours of paid leave per injection. The bill...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule revising its interpretation of a worker’s status as an independent contractor or employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final rule creates a...more
Congress passed a wide-ranging COVID-19 stimulus package on December 22, 2020, that provides over $900 billion in aid to individuals and businesses. If signed into law, the stimulus package will address two areas of...more
The New York City Commission on Human Rights (Commission) recently issued proposed rules concerning discrimination and accommodation obligations based on an employee’s pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions under...more
On September 16, 2020, the New York City Council passed a law that would allow New York City restaurants to charge customers a 10% COVID-19 Recovery Charge to help businesses recover as they begin to reopen. The measure will...more
The U.S. Senate passed an amendment to the CARES Act on June 3 called the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act of 2020 (PPFA), extending the time for employers to use funds received in a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)...more
New York State continues its phased reopening with upstate areas now entering Phase 2. As it did when areas reopened under Phase 1 of New York’s reopening plan, New York State has issued guidelines for the industries that are...more