On May 14, 2021, the United States House of Representatives passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA” or “HR 1065”) for a second time. With a vote of 315-101, including support from all House Democrats and 99...more
The clock is now running: New York employers have until August 5, 2021, to adopt workplace safety plans, in accordance with the NY HERO Act (“Act”). As we previously reported, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Act into law on...more
7/12/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New York ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Safety
Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state disaster emergency he declared on March 7, 2020, due to COVID-19 would officially end after June 24, 2021. He then signed Executive Order No. 210, which...more
7/1/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
New York ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Safety Precautions ,
State and Local Government ,
State of Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
At long last, on June 8, 2021, the New York State Department of Health (“DOH”) released an update to Interim Guidance previously issued on May 15, 2021, containing current recommendations for employers that operate in an...more
6/11/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
New York ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Popular ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Beginning June 26, 2021, Pennsylvania’s Living Donor Protection Act (the “LDPA”) will provide time off to organ and tissue donors to cover time off for donation surgery, including necessary preparation and recovery....more
On May 28, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) announced the release of updated guidance regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, providing welcome clarity around a number of vaccine-related issues for...more
In the wake of last week’s updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) easing social distancing and mask requirements for fully vaccinated people, on May 19, 2021, New York State issued its own...more
During a May 10, 2021 press conference, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his intention to propose legislation aimed at stopping discrimination against those who choose to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Unlike many...more
On May 3, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a significant easing of COVID-19-related capacity restrictions on businesses in their respective states. Governor Ned Lamont of...more
On April 8, 2021, New Mexico’s Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, signed House Bill 20, the Healthy Workplaces Act (“Act”). Effective July 1, 2022, all private employers must provide eligible employees in New Mexico up to 64...more
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“Act”), into law. Among other things, the $1.9 trillion stimulus package extends and enhances the Families First Coronavirus Response...more
As we recently reported, as of March 12, 2021, all private employers in New York must provide their employees with up to four hours of paid leave to get each COVID-19 vaccination shot. The State has now released guidance on...more
New York employers no longer have to ponder if and how they should incentivize their employees to get vaccinated. Effective March 12, 2021, Senate Bill S2588A creates Labor Law Section 196-C, “Leave for COVID-19 Vaccination”...more
As we previously reported, Colorado’s latest paid sick leave law, the “Healthy Families and Workplaces Act” (“Act”), was signed by Governor Jared Polis on July 14, 2020, requiring employers in the state to provide paid sick...more
On January 10, 2021, Int. 1314-A (“Law”) was enacted, and it goes into effect on July 28, 2021. The Law significantly expands job applicants’ protections under New York City’s Fair Chance Act (“FCA”), otherwise known as the...more
3/11/2021
/ Background Checks ,
Ban the Box ,
Conditional Job Offers ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Criminal Records ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Labor Regulations ,
New York ,
State and Local Government
The Westchester County Human Rights Commission (the “Commission”) has announced that the county’s Earned Sick Leave Law, which went into effect on April 10, 2019, has been preempted by New York’s Paid Sick Leave Law (“Law” or...more
The New York City Council is planning to evaluate how effectively both the City, as an employer, and private employers disseminated and implemented COVID-19 workplace guidance over the past year with the goal of strengthening...more
After repeated introductions over the course of several years in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, on September 14, 2020, the House passed HR 2694, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”). The stated...more
On September 30, 2020, New York’s Paid Sick Leave Law (“Law” or “PSLL”) will take effect. The Law applies to all private employers and employees, and as we have previously reported, starting September 30, 2020, employees in...more
As we approach the last quarter of 2020 and the business community begins to plan ahead for 2021, New York employers should be aware of the changes coming to the New York Paid Family Leave (“NYPFL”) program. On January 1,...more
As we previously reported, in 2019, the New York City Commission on Human Rights (“Commission”) provided legal enforcement guidance (“Enforcement Guidance”) advising that workplace grooming and appearance policies “that ban,...more
8/10/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Commission on Human Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
NYCHRL ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Hearing ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
On July 13, 2020, the New York City Health Department released a COVID-19 Face Coverings Frequently Asked Questions document (“FAQs”), encouraging anyone in New York City to wear a face covering in any indoor setting that is...more
On July 14, 2020, Colorado’s Governor signed SB 20-205, the “Healthy Families and Workplaces Act” (the “Act”), requiring employers in the state to provide paid sick leave entitlements to employees under various circumstances...more
The times they are a-changin’ and Washington’s rules relating to overtime pay are changing with them. Effective July 1, 2020, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (“L&I”) has updated the criteria for workers...more
Employers are encouraging employees to use their vacation time this summer to avoid a crush of end-of-year vacations. But what happens when an employee vacations in a COVID-19 “hotspot”? Attorney Nancy Gunzenhauser Popper...more