New York’s two-year 2025-2026 legislative session hit its midpoint in June, with lawmakers wrapping up the first year by passing a slew of workplace-related bills that now await action from Governor Hochul. As federal labor...more
7/3/2025
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New York City employers must take note of recent changes to the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) that are about to take effect. The new ESSTA rules provide important clarity on the statewide paid prenatal leave...more
A controversial federal effort to dissuade states from regulating artificial intelligence just cleared a major procedural hurdle, potentially reshaping the AI regulatory landscape for years to come. Senate leaders announced...more
New York could soon jump into the lead of the national AI regulation race. With broad bipartisan support, state lawmakers passed the groundbreaking Responsible AI Safety and Education Act (RAISE Act) on June 12, aimed...more
After bipartisan blowback from federal and state officials alike, Senate leaders veered from the House’s plan to bar any state law restricting artificial intelligence for 10 years and instead introduced a revised proposal...more
New York employers will see three significant workplace laws come into effect in June, and retail, warehouse, and fashion industry employers throughout the state need to take notice. You’ll face new requirements for workplace...more
5/30/2025
/ Employee Rights ,
Employee Training ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Policies ,
Fashion Industry ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
Retail Workers ,
State Labor Laws ,
Warehouses ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety ,
Workplace Violence ,
Workplace Violence Prevention Programs
Businesses with New York employees are breathing a sigh of relief now that the state has finally addressed a hot button (and expensive) issue that has plagued them for nearly six years. A state court first ruled in 2019 that...more
An influential House committee just advanced a sweeping proposal to impose a decade-long moratorium on state-level laws regulating artificial intelligence – a move that could dramatically reshape the regulatory landscape for...more
A federal appeals court recently clarified that an employee may qualify for a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) even if they can perform essential job functions without such an...more
Employers in New York State and New York City face unique challenges given all the new workplace laws that are passed each year – and 2024 was no different. Indeed, multiple bills were enacted in the past year that will raise...more
1/31/2025
/ Employee Benefits ,
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AI is reshaping the workplace, and two of the nation’s most influential states – California and New York – are making sure businesses take accountability. California’s Attorney General issued sweeping advisories on Monday...more
1/20/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automation Systems ,
Bias ,
California ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Layoffs ,
New York ,
Privacy Laws ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Labor Laws ,
Transparency
A new study reveals that popular AI-based resume screening tools often favor White and male candidates, showing that resumes tied to White-associated names were preferred 85% of the time. The University of Washington...more
11/12/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
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Bias ,
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Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
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Human Resources Professionals ,
Job Applicants ,
Popular ,
Race Discrimination ,
Resume ,
Sex Discrimination
Nursing employees now have the right to paid break time to express breast milk during the workday under a New York State law that took effect June 19. This move underscores Governor Hochul’s push for legislation supporting...more
7/15/2024
/ Breastfeeding ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Policies ,
Guidance Update ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
New York ,
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NYDOL ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
A new report released this week revealed that three out of four knowledge workers use AI for work purposes – but more than half are hiding it from their leaders because they fear it makes them look replaceable. The May 8...more
The legal landscape for “frequency of pay” claims involving manual workers in New York has recently been bubbling with activity. The state law at issue regulates the frequency in which “manual workers” must receive their...more
At least two proposed bills pending before the New York State Legislature would force employers to conduct bias audits and provide high levels of transparency if they use AI-fueled automated employment decision tools for...more
3/18/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Audits ,
Bias ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Monitoring ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New York ,
Notice Requirements ,
Private Right of Action ,
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State Labor Laws ,
Vendors
If you’ve been tracking litigation related to New York’s “frequency of pay” requirement for manual workers, last week’s highly anticipated decision Grant v. Global Aircraft Dispatch brings welcome news to employers. The state...more
Continuing a years’ long trend of extensive alterations to workplace laws, New York State and New York City continued to enact new workplace legislation impacting employers. A substantial number of enacted bills in the past...more
1/11/2024
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Freelance Workers ,
Minimum Wage ,
New York ,
Pay Transparency ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft ,
Workplace Safety
Governor Hochul recently signed a bill into law making significant changes to New York’s law on nondisclosure agreements, which will require employers across the state to make immediate changes to their practices. The...more
Businesses that use artificial intelligence tools to hire and promote employees in the Big Apple are navigating uncharted waters as they grapple with significant compliance obligations. New York City’s first-of-its-kind law...more
New York state lawmakers passed a flurry of employment-related bills in the final weeks of the legislative session. The bills – which now head to Governor Hochul’s desk for consideration – aim to provide workers in the state...more
6/27/2023
/ Assignment of Inventions ,
Emergency Alerts ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New York ,
Proposed Legislation ,
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State Labor Laws ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft
The movement to expand legal protections against forms of appearance-based discrimination could soon gain a formidable ally. The New York City Council passed a bill on May 11 that would prohibit employers from discriminating...more
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, there have been an unprecedented number of changes for the past few years — and this past...more
5/1/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automation Systems ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Enforcement ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Mental Health ,
NLRB ,
OFCCP ,
OSHA ,
SCOTUS
The impact of cannabis on the workplace continues to evolve as more states legalize its use. One such example is increasing protection for workers’ off duty cannabis use. How will these changes affect your workplace? Here is...more
With the June 19 effective date on the horizon, employers subject to New York’s Warehouse Worker Protection Act should begin preparations to comply with the law’s requirements sooner rather than later. Signed into law at the...more