Q: I heard New York amended the law on nondisclosure provisions in employee settlement agreements. What do I need to know?...more
12/6/2023
/ ADEA ,
Confidential Documents ,
Confidential Information ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Discrimination ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
New York ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Separation Agreement ,
Settlement Agreements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
Q: I heard New York City is adding height and weight as protected categories. What does that mean for employers? ...more
9/20/2023
/ City of New York ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Regulations ,
Protected Class
Summary -
On June 20, the New York State Legislature passed a bill prohibiting noncompetes. The bill currently awaits Governor Hochul’s signature. If signed into law, it will take effect just 30 days later, but will only...more
7/3/2023
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Reform ,
New York ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Pending Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
State Labor Laws
Q: I heard that New York City recently amended the salary transparency law. What are the key aspects of the amendment and when does it go into effect? ...more
Q: Has New York City provided any additional details on the employer vaccination mandate? ...more
As COVID-19 vaccination roll-outs become more widespread in the United States and the European Union, employers should proactively consider the impact of vaccinations on return to work policies and practices. The extent to...more
Who Needs to Know -
Employers who plan to enact voluntary vaccination programs. ...more
Q: I understand the New York Department of Labor recently released guidance interpreting the New York State Sick Leave Law. What are the key takeaways? Did the guidance answer the questions left open by the legislation?...more
Who Needs to Know -
Employers who are reopening (or have already reopened) and bringing employees back to their workplaces – or restructuring their workforces as a result of changing business conditions related to the...more
10/2/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Field Assistance Bulletins ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Remote Working ,
Wage and Hour ,
WARN Act ,
Workplace Safety
Three California cities — Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose — have recently enacted paid sick leave laws in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These laws are meant to fill the gaps left by the Families First Coronavirus...more
In response to the financial pressures of the COVID-19 crisis, many employers are considering pay reductions as an alternative to furloughs or layoffs. Most states require advance notice of these changes, and some states have...more
Q: My Company’s standard employment settlement agreement includes a no-rehire provision. Can I continue to include that provision for California employees?...more
Q: I heard New York is changing its rules around tip credits for some types of employees. What do I need to know? ...more
1/20/2020
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
Q: I heard New York prohibits employers from discriminating based on hairstyle. What does that mean?
A: In July 2019, New York State passed legislation that amended the definition of race under the New York State Human...more
10/7/2019
/ Dress Codes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Human Rights ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Guidance ,
NYSHRL ,
Race Discrimination ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
Q: I am a New York employer. What are the key parts of the new amendments to the New York Human Rights law and when do they go into effect?
A. As we detailed in an earlier post, New York state recently passed a bill that...more
9/5/2019
/ #MeToo ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Human Rights ,
Labor Regulations ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
NYHRL ,
Protected Class ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
Q: I heard New York City is banning employers from doing pre-employment drug testing for marijuana. What do I need to know?...more
Q: My company offers floating holidays to employees. Can we have a “use it or lose it” policy for unused floating holidays? Do they have to be paid out at termination? What about personal days?...more
Q: I have employees who work in New Jersey. What do I need to know about the minimum wage increase?
A: New Jersey recently passed a law that will raise the minimum wage by increments over the next five years. ...more
Q: I have employees in Connecticut. What do I need to know about the new pay equity law?
A: Effective January 1, 2019, employers are not allowed to: (1) inquire (whether directly or through a third party) about a...more
1/9/2019
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Q: I am an employer in Westchester County. What do I need to know about the new paid sick leave law? If I have employees in both Westchester County and New York City, can I have one paid sick leave policy that covers...more
Q: I understand that employers may be required to offer reasonable accommodations to hearing-impaired applicants and employees. When are accommodations required? What kind of accommodations must employers offer?...more
11/1/2018
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Disability ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Failure to Accommodate ,
Hearing-Impaired ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Reasonable Accommodation
Q: I am a New York employer. How do the upcoming New York State and New York City sexual harassment requirements affect me? When is the deadline to comply?
...more
9/10/2018
/ #MeToo ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Corporate Culture ,
Employee Rights ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Harassment ,
Hostile Environment ,
Local Ordinance ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
Most employers value a diverse workforce, and many employers are required by clients or customers to have diversity initiatives and meet diversity requirements.
Originally published in The HR Specialist - June 2018....more
6/20/2018
/ Affirmative Action ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Disparate Impact ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Race Discrimination ,
Recruitment Policies ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Title VII
Q: I am a New York City employer. What do I need to know about the amendments to the law regarding accommodations?
A: Effective October 15, 2018, employers in New York City will be required to engage in a “cooperative...more
The gig economy — companies that hire workers for specific projects or “gigs” — is on the rise. Gig companies use technology to provide goods and services to consumers on demand. The companies hire workers who access and...more
2/15/2018
/ Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
GrubHub ,
Independent Contractors ,
Minimum Wage ,
Misclassification ,
On-Demand Services ,
Sharing Economy ,
Uber ,
Wage and Hour