New York just issued industry specific guidance for businesses that are preparing to reopen. As previously reported, the state hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic is preparing to begin phased business reopenings on a...more
New York, the state hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, has released plans to guide the state’s reopening process that will permit certain lower-risk businesses to begin phased reopenings on a regional basis as soon as May...more
New York City is making it easier for employees to qualify for COVID-19-related sick leave. The Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a blanket order of isolation for all people who work or reside in New York City...more
New York businesses who employ home healthcare workers or employees covered by the state prevailing wage laws must prepare to comply with changes to the state’s wage notice law. As part of the state budget, lawmakers amended...more
New York is reverting to its pre-2019 voting leave law, as employers will now only need to provide their workers with two hours of paid voting time rather than three. This change is effectively immediately, so New York...more
Governor Cuomo recently issued an Executive Order directing essential businesses to provide face coverings to their employees when in direct contact with customers or members of the public, at the expense of the employer. The...more
Both New York and the federal government passed laws providing leave for employees impacted by COVID-19, leaving employers in New York grappling to understand how the two laws intersect. New York employers are required to...more
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, New York State has passed legislation guaranteeing most workers in the state paid sick leave starting next year. This is in addition to the emergency COVID-19 related sick leave enacted by the...more
As part of New York’s continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Cuomo announced during a press conference Friday morning that he will be signing an executive order mandating that 100% of the workforce stay home,...more
In response to the continued surge of COVID-19 coronavirus cases in New York State, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced at a press conference this morning that non-essential businesses must decrease their in-office workforce by...more
As New York continues to be hard hit by the effects of COVID-19, Governor Cuomo announced a three-way agreement on March 17 between his office and both houses of the New York State Legislature on a bill guaranteeing job...more
3/19/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disability Benefits ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Quarantine ,
Sick Leave ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
New York employers will soon be required to pay an estimated 70,000 tipped workers the full minimum wage, regardless of any tips received. Governor Andrew Cuomo just announced on December 31 that the New York State Department...more
In anticipation of New York’s 2020 legislative session, state lawmakers are beginning to develop a proposal to regulate the gig economy – and the news isn’t good for businesses. As we discussed in an entry back in September,...more
Following in the footsteps of New York City, which earlier this year prohibited employers from discriminating against applicants or employees based on their sexual and reproductive health decisions, New York State has...more
12/12/2019
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Decision-Making Process ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Cuomo ,
New Legislation ,
Reproductive Discrimination ,
State Labor Laws
With another busy year for employment law legislation throughout New York State and New York City coming to a close, New York employers should be aware of new employment laws that will take effect in 2020, as well as laws...more
12/10/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour
Gig workers in New York City recently gained a suite of workplace protections normally reserved for employees. The City Council amended its antidiscrimination laws in September to cover independent contractors, meaning that...more
“Anything you can do, I can do better.” That’s essentially the sentiment floating around Albany these days as New York lawmakers look enviously towards California and its groundbreaking new law that will soon revolutionize...more
Governor Andrew Cuomo just signed into effect an amendment to New York law expanding the protections employers must provide to employees who are victims of domestic violence. In addition to expanded protections against...more
New York Governor Cuomo just signed into effect an amendment to state law which expressly prohibits discrimination against employees based on clothing or facial hair worn in accordance with the employee’s religion. The...more
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed legislation amending state law to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on hair texture or protective hairstyles as race-based discrimination. The new law took effect...more
8/9/2019
/ Amended Legislation ,
Dress Codes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Human Rights ,
NYCHRL ,
NYSHRL ,
Race Discrimination ,
State Labor Laws
Westchester County employers will soon need to provide paid safe time leave to employees who are the victims of domestic violence or human trafficking. Earlier this year, county lawmakers passed the Safe Time Leave for...more
An agreement to arbitrate sexual harassment claims is enforceable, according to a recent decision handed down by a federal judge in the Southern District of New York, despite a state law purporting to ban mandatory...more
8/2/2019
/ #MeToo ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Mandatory Arbitration ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws
This past week was a busy one for New York State lawmakers. In addition to passing game-changing legislation overhauling the state’s discrimination laws, the New York State Senate and Assembly just passed two pay equity bills...more
6/24/2019
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Protected Class ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Still grappling with the expansive sexual harassment reforms passed last year, New York businesses and employers will soon need to manage through yet another expansive suite of amendments that will continue the state’s...more
6/21/2019
/ Amended Legislation ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Employee Rights ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Human Rights ,
Labor Reform ,
Mandatory Arbitration ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Punitive Damages ,
Retaliation ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations
The New York City Council just passed legislation which will prohibit employers from requiring a prospective employee to submit to drug testing for the presence of tetrahydrocannabinols (THC), the active ingredient in...more