The Office of the Attorney General for Washington D.C. (OAG) recently reminded hospitality employers in the city who use mandatory service charges and other fees that they must properly disclose such charges to guests under...more
As part of the state’s 2023-2024 budget deal, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law an increase to New York’s minimum wage. In fact, the minimum wage will increase to $17.00 per hour for most New York State employers by Jan. 1,...more
Effective March 7, 2022, New York City will lift the Key to NYC mandate requiring that anyone age 5 and older show proof of vaccination to enter indoor dining, fitness, entertainment and certain meeting spaces. Mayor Eric...more
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
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
Approximately 16 months after COVID-19 forced New York to a screeching halt, many restaurants, hotels, bars, caterers and other hospitality establishments are finally reopening for business. As the hospitality industry...more
7/22/2021
/ Age Discrimination ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Events ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Harassment ,
Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Layoffs ,
New York ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Popular ,
Rehiring Issues ,
Tip Credit
On June 21, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced proposed rules setting forth new tip regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
These new rules would reinstate the so-called “80/20” rule under...more
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
As we approach the end of the year, it is critical to remember and implement the new legal requirements that go into effect in New York on December 31, 2020 and shortly thereafter. Failure to comply with these requirements...more
12/15/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Minimum Wage ,
New York ,
Paid Sick Leave Act ,
Rate of Pay ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tipped Employees ,
Uniforms ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wages
New York City Council passed legislation on September 23, 2020, that would significantly affect New York City hotels and possibly restaurants and other food outlets and retail stores within a hotel property. The legislation...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
As various regions in New York continue with Phase 2 of the state's reopening, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) issued interim guidance for outdoor and takeout/delivery food services...more
The recent outbreak of respiratory disease (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus presents many issues for hospitality establishments. Employers should be vigilant and plan for a potential outbreak, as the United States...more
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a new rule to allow employers who do not take a tip credit to establish “nontraditional” tip pools that include back-of-the-house employees and others who are not traditionally...more
Chicago’s Fair Workweek Ordinance imposes a sweeping, predictive scheduling obligation on employers to provide employees with advance notice of work schedules and pay employees “predictability pay” for late changes to an...more
8/5/2019
/ Collective Bargaining ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Workweek ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Local Ordinance ,
Manufacturers ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
In a growing trend among major cities, Philadelphia has enacted a law that will impose stringent new scheduling and workplace management practices on hospitality industry and retail employers with more than 250 employees and...more
As of January 1, 2019, all new or substantially renovated buildings in New York State that have bathrooms used by the public must make changing tables accessible to both men and women. The law, passed in April 2018 as part of...more
As we approach the end of the year, it is critical to remember and implement some of the new legal requirements that go into effect in New York on December 31, 2018. Failure to comply with these requirements could subject an...more