As detailed in our prior alert, on Dec. 19, 2025, New York enacted the Trapped at Work Act (the Act), which bans “employment promissory notes” – agreements or contract provisions obligating workers to repay employers if they...more
2/19/2026
/ Amended Legislation ,
Contract Terms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Contract ,
New Legislation ,
Penalties ,
Promissory Notes ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unenforceable Contract Terms
The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), the agency responsible for enforcing the New York City Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA), has released proposed rules in advance of the February 22...more
2/12/2026
/ Amended Legislation ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Local Ordinance ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Proposed Rules ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Safe Leave ,
Unpaid Leave
Certain New York City employers will soon be required to hand over employee compensation data to the city. The aim is to pressure employers to address pay disparities in the private workforce based on demographics such as...more
12/8/2025
/ Data Collection ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Gender Equity ,
Gender Identity ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Data ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Penalties ,
Race Discrimination ,
Reporting Requirements
In October, the New York City Council enacted amendments to the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA), introducing new obligations for employers, expanding employee rights and codifying the rules promulgated earlier this year...more
11/19/2025
/ Amended Legislation ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Regulations ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pregnancy ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Safe Leave
On Sept. 25, 2025, the Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed sweeping amendments to the city’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Law (Fair Chance Law), which regulates when and how employers may use applicants’...more
Although all New York state employees have been eligible for 20 hours of paid prenatal leave since Jan. 1, 2025, employers in New York City now have additional obligations in administering prenatal leave benefits....more
On May 27, Philadelphia enacted the POWER Act, which introduces sweeping changes to the city’s labor laws. Several provisions stand out for their immediate impact on Philadelphia employers....more
6/17/2025
/ Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Municipalities ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Leave ,
Penalties ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Remedies ,
Retaliation
After enacting the Retail Worker Safety Act (the Act) just last year, New York lawmakers passed a bill to amend the Act, which Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed into law...more
On Jan. 14, just days before the change in administration, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) substitution rule, clarifying that employers cannot...more
The BakerHostetler Labor and Employment Practice Group keeps a close watch on new and upcoming employment and labor laws that can significantly impact our New York-based clients. Below we highlight some of the recently...more
12/19/2024
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Constitutional Amendment ,
Employee Benefits ,
Human Rights Act ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Mental Health ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Leave ,
Pets ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Retailers ,
Sick Leave ,
State Constitutions ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Workers’ Compensation
Soon after we hit “publish” on our blog post about New York’s paid prenatal leave law, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) posted the guidance we have all been waiting for. In a series of frequently asked...more
As discussed in our prior alert, New York’s amendment to New York Labor Law Section 196-b, providing employees with another opportunity for paid leave, goes into effect soon. Starting on January 1, 2025, New York employers...more
Joining New York, California and several other states, New Jersey has a new wage transparency law, signed by Gov. Phil Murphy this week, that requires certain employers to disclose wage or salary ranges and general benefits...more
11/22/2024
/ Covered Employer ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Ads ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Transparency ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statutory Violations ,
Wage and Hour
New York recently enacted the Retail Worker Safety Act (RWSA), which takes effect on March 4, 2025, requiring certain retail employers to develop and implement protocols aimed at preventing violence in the workplace. Among...more
The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) recently published the Workers’ Bill of Rights, a comprehensive guide to employee, applicant and independent contractor rights in the workplace in New York...more
On March 14, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that the protections of the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) and the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) can apply to non-New York state or city residents or...more
The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection adopted new amended rules to the ESSTA. The amended rules, which just went into effect on Oct. 15, essentially codify the 2020 statutory amendments to the ESSTA...more
As previewed in a prior alert, discrimination based on height or weight is now prohibited in New York City. On May 26, Mayor Eric Adams signed into law the bill that the New York City Council passed on May 11, which adds a...more
The BakerHostetler Labor and Employment Practice Group keeps a close watch on new and upcoming employment and labor laws that could have a significant impact on our New York-based clients. This alert highlights just some of...more
4/27/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
At-Will Employment ,
Automation Systems ,
Earned Sick Time ,
EEO-1 ,
Employee Monitoring ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Transparency ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Wrongful Termination
Until recently, employers had broad discretion to determine whether their employees were required to take COVID-19 tests prior to entering the workplace. However, newly released guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment...more