New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Retail Worker Safety Act (S. 8358B/A. 8947C) into law on Sept. 4, 2024. The Act will require covered retail employers to:
1.Adopt a retail workplace violence prevention policy...more
The New York State Department of Labor has issued revised materials, including an updated mandatory model policy, ahead of the June 19, 2024, effective date for the transition of workplace lactation breaks from unpaid to paid...more
The New York State enacted budget for fiscal year 2024 changes employers’ obligations by adding paid leave for prenatal care, converting unpaid break time for purposes of expressing breast milk into paid time, and...more
Congress improperly passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, including the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), a federal court in Texas has ruled. State of Texas v. Department of Justice et al., No. 5:23-cv-00034...more
The U.S. COVID-19 Public Health Emergency will end on May 11, 2023, one week after the World Health Organization determined that COVID-19 is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern....more
On November 30, 2022, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) updated its Advisory on Return-to-Work Protocols for Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to Sars-CoV-2. This new guidance...more
On November 21, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law clarifying that it is unlawful for an employer to penalize an employee for any absence protected under federal, state or local law. (S.1958/A.8092). The law...more
Monkeypox (MPV) is the latest virus to catch wide attention. But it is important for employers to keep in mind that MPV is not COVID-19. Nevertheless, there are steps employers can take....more
Starting December 27, 2021, workers who are onsite in New York City or interact with the public during the course of business are required to show their employer proof of having received at least one dose of a COVID-19...more
On December 14, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) added a new section, COVID-19 and the Definition of “Disability” Under the ADA/Rehabilitation Act, to its COVID-19 guidance. The updated guidance...more
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) extends tax credits available to covered employers who provide qualified sick and family leave wages (within the meaning of ARPA) to their employees between April 1, 2021 through...more
After the May passage of the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO Act), and June amendments, the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) has issued guidance including the model general standard and model airborne...more
The country begins the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic with optimism because of three Emergency Use Authorization vaccines and President Joe Biden’s direction that all states make all adults eligible for vaccination by...more
3/24/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Caregivers ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
General Duty Clause ,
GINA ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Layoffs ,
OSHA ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Quarantine ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
New York State will soon require all employers to provide sick leave to employees. The New York State Sick Leave (NYSSL) law goes into effect September 30, 2020, but employees are not entitled to use NYSSL until January 1,...more
With federal and state legislation constantly evolving, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office issuing multiple executive orders, New York employers are struggling to understand their coronavirus (COVID-19) paid leave...more
The State of New York has issued final guidance on combating sexual harassment in the workplace. This includes updated guidance on the mandatory sexual harassment prevention policies and annual employee training applicable to...more
Although New York City’s “ban the box” law, the Fair Chance Act (“FCA”), went into effect close to two years ago, the New York City Commission on Human Rights’ final regulations became effective on August 5, 2017. These...more