On December 22, 2021, the New York Department of Labor (“DOL”) adopted rules (“Rules”) implementing the state’s sick leave law (NY Labor Law §196-b, or the “Sick Leave Law”), providing long-awaited clarification of the Sick...more
New York City’s private employer vaccine mandate became effective Monday. December 27, 2021 and, the City has updated its FAQs document and the Accommodations Guidance document (“Guidance”)....more
Following the state of Colorado’s lead, on December 15, 2021, the New York City Council enacted Int. 1208-B (the “Bill”), which requires most employers advertising job openings for positions performed in New York City to...more
As we previously reported, New York was one of the first states to require employers to provide paid COVID-19 vaccination leave for public and private employees. On November 23, 2021, the New York City Council approved a...more
On December 17, 2021, a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit lifted the nationwide injunction against the COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) issued by...more
12/21/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On December 15, 2021, New York City followed up on the recently announced vaccine mandate for private employers by releasing further details, including several guidance documents and mandatory signage. The New York City...more
The Commissioner of the New York Department of Health has extended the designation of COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to public health under the NY HERO Act until...more
Important guidance regarding COVID-19 testing in the workplace was recently issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) in the form of Frequently Asked Questions regarding Over the Counter (“OTC”) Home...more
Important guidance regarding COVID-19 testing in the workplace was recently issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) in the form of Frequently Asked Questions regarding Over the Counter (“OTC”) Home...more
Today, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new mask mandate for private businesses that do not require proof of vaccination for entry, which will take effect Monday, December 13, 2021 and remain in place through...more
On December 6, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City would be adding new rules and requirements for vaccination against COVID-19, including a “universal” vaccine mandate affecting all private employers—about...more
On November 19, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act (BBBA or the Act), which, if enacted, would be the first federal enhancement of family and medical leave for private sector workers...more
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law the “Silenced No More Act” (SB 331 or the “Act”), which expands limitations on confidentiality provisions in settlement agreements for filed claims, previously...more
11/23/2021
/ California ,
Confidential Information ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Trade Secrets
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation that expands one of the state’s whistleblower laws with significant revisions (“Amendments”) to NY Labor Law § 740 (“Section 740”). The Amendments increase coverage...more
On Friday, November 12, 2021, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a strongly worded decision granting a motion to prevent the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from...more
This week, the Biden administration has finally released the COVID-19 vaccine mandate rules for employers with 100 or more employees, and the challenges started right away.
Employers Face December, January Vaccine ETS...more
11/10/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employer ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Petition for Review ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
As we previously reported, effective November 5, 2021, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring employers with 100 or more employees to ensure that covered...more
On November 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released the long-awaited COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for employers with 100 or more employees. At the...more
On Monday, October 25, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued updates to its online technical assistance for employers, providing guidance for managing workplace issues arising from the ongoing...more
10/28/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Guidance Update ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Religious Beliefs ,
Religious Exemption ,
Title VII ,
Undue Hardship ,
Vaccinations
As we previously reported, as of September 6, 2021, all New York HERO Act (“HERO Act”) airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plans (“Safety Plans”) must be implemented due to COVID-19 being designated as a serious...more
On September 23, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor (“NYSDOL”) released an update to its general model airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan (“model plan”) for employers’ use in complying with the NY...more
On September 6, 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she has designated COVID-19 a serious public health risk under the NY HERO Act (“HERO Act”). As we have previously reported, the HERO Act, which was signed...more
This is Part II of a three-part series called, “The Future of Work.” The Three sessions of the series address many of the issues attendant to returning to the workplace. Panelists explore:
- the implications of mandatory...more
8/17/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports ,
Webinars ,
Workplace Safety
This is Part II of a three-part series called, “The Future of Work.” The Three sessions of the series address many of the issues attendant to returning to the workplace. Panelists explore:
- the implications of mandatory...more
8/16/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
Retailers ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports ,
Webinars ,
Workplace Safety
As we previously advised, the City of New York amended its Fair Chance Act (“FCA”)—also known as the “ban the box” law—which limits the types of inquiries employers can make regarding criminal history during the hiring...more