As expected, New York’s Department of Labor (DOL) has issued FAQ guidance for employers on the state’s new Paid Prenatal Leave Law, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. While the guidance answers some questions, others...more
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently added to the New York State Labor Law by signing a bill titled “the New York Retail Worker Safety Act” (“RWSA”). The State Legislature crafted the RWSA to promote retail worker safety...more
New Yorkers utilizing freelance workers or independent contractors for work totaling $800 or more will soon need to comply with New York’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act (“FIFA”). The Act, which was signed into law by Governor...more
8/15/2024
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Compliance ,
Freelance Isn't Free Act (FIFA) ,
Freelance Workers ,
Independent Contractors ,
New York ,
NYDOL ,
Payment Systems ,
Penalties ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Service Contracts
New York State lawmakers came to a final agreement on a 2024-25 budget bill, which contains several notable changes to New York’s employment laws. There are three notable amendments in the budget that directly impact New York...more
New York’s proposed budget bill points toward significant changes in employee leave rights in the coming year.
Repeal of NY COVID Paid Sick Leave Law -
New York – the last state in the country still requiring all...more
Two recent developments may signal the beginning of the end for the wave of “frequency-of-pay” litigation that has hit New York employers in recent years.
In a victory for New York employers, the Appellate Division, Second...more
New York’s recent addition of Section 203-f to Labor Law declares unenforceable any provisions in existing and future employment agreements requiring an employee to assign to the employer those inventions developed entirely...more
11/20/2023
/ Employees ,
Enforcement ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Inventions ,
Jurisdiction ,
Labor Code ,
New York ,
Pre-Employment Agreements ,
Severance Agreements ,
Technology Sector ,
Trade Secrets
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill on September 6, 2023, which expands Section 201-d of the New York Labor Law to provide employees with protection from the political and religious ideologies of their employer. The...more
New York inched closer to fully banning non-compete agreements on June 20, 2023, with the Legislature approving a bill banning their use in the future. The bill will soon be sent to Governor Kathy Hochul, who is expected to...more
6/22/2023
/ Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
State and Local Government ,
State Bans ,
State Labor Laws
New York state recently made a few notable amendments to its Pay Transparency Law requiring New York employers to include pay ranges and job descriptions in advertisements for jobs, promotions and transfer opportunities. ...more
A Year in Review: Notable Labor and Employment Law Developments of 2022 -
The year-end provides an opportune time to review some of the notable developments in the world of labor and employment law from this past year –...more
1/4/2023
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Monitoring ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
NLRB ,
Notice Requirements ,
Pay Transparency ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
As of September 17, 2023, most private-sector employers in New York State will be required to post a job description and pay range for any job opening, promotion or transfer opportunity the employer advertises.
Governor...more
Private-sector employers with “no-fault” attendance policies in New York will need to revisit their policies following an impending change to New York Labor Law.
On November 21, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul...more
If your staff member wants his or her paycheck in cryptocurrency, should you – as an employer keeping up with the times — accommodate the request?
You don’t have to work in Silicon Valley or play for the NFL to field this...more
7/29/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Compensation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Digital Assets ,
Estate Planning ,
Ethereum ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
New York ,
Payment Systems ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Wages
In March of 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation directing the New York State Division of Human Rights (“DHR”) to establish a toll-free confidential hotline designed to provide counsel and assistance to...more
The New York State Commissioner of Health’s designation of COVID-19 under the Health & Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act”) as an “airborne infectious disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health” ended on...more
New York State’s mask mandate on private business will expire on Thursday, February 10th, 2022. The mandate required mask-wearing indoors at all “indoor public places” (e.g., businesses) unless the business required proof of...more
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced that beginning on December 13, 2021, face masks are required to be worn in all “indoor public places,” except those that require proof of vaccination as a condition of...more
On Sunday, September 6, 2021, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the “designation” of COVID-19 as an airborne infectious disease under the state’s new Health & Essential Rights Act (the “HERO” Act). The designation...more
As explained in our previous legal alerts, which are available here and here, the New York Health Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act”) requires all private employers to, among other things, develop infectious disease exposure...more
New York's recently enacted Health & Essential Rights Act, otherwise called the HERO Act, has been modified.
As discussed in our earlier Alert, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the HERO Act into law in early May. The law...more
New York has updated its COVID-19 guidelines, but they might not be in effect for long. On June 8, 2021, New York updated the reopening guidelines that were initially issued as part of New York’s phased reopening process. ...more
With New York state adopting the CDC’s “Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People” on May 19, employers now have the option of easing restrictions related to COVID-19.
The guidance relaxes...more
On March 31, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the New York State Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (“MRTA”), which legalized recreational use of marijuana for adults over the age of 21. Although retail sales of...more
On January 14, 2021, New York State Department of Labor (“DOL”) Commissioner Roberta Reardon signed an Order that temporarily cancels unemployment insurance (“UI”) charges to employers for the duration of the COVID-19...more