Following a public hearing and comment period, on June 3, 2025, New York City adopted the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection’s (DCWP) proposed amended paid prenatal leave rules, which will go into effect on July 2,...more
In advance of June 19, 2025, the effective date of the New York State Fashion Workers Act, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) recently issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) and guidance that provide clarity...more
6/18/2025
/ Effective Date ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Policies ,
Fashion Industry ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Management Companies ,
New Guidance ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Social Media Policy ,
State Labor Departments
On December 21, 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the New York State Fashion Workers Act, which regulates model management companies and their clients, including retail stores, fashion designers, advertising...more
6/10/2025
/ Contract Terms ,
Employee Rights ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Freelance Isn't Free Act (FIFA) ,
Freelance Workers ,
Management Companies ,
New Legislation ,
Penalties ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retailers ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
On April 8, 2025, the New York State Legislature took up Senate Bill S7289, which, if enacted, would amend the New York Labor Law (NYLL) by adding a new article 35-A, otherwise known as the “New York State Fast Food...more
On January 6, 2025, in the wake of the issuance of guidance by the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) about the New York State Paid Prenatal Leave Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2025, the New York City...more
On September 26, 2024, New York City published updated frequently asked questions (FAQs) for the New York City Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) in light of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection’s...more
1/17/2025
/ Amended Rules ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Local Ordinance ,
Paid Leave ,
Private Right of Action ,
Safe Leave ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Telecommuting
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that under the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 (EFAA), a hostile work environment “accrues” for purposes of the EFAA each time a...more
8/19/2024
/ Amended Legislation ,
Arbitration ,
Biden Administration ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Effective Date ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Hostile Environment ,
New Legislation ,
Retaliation ,
Retroactive Application ,
Sexual Harassment
On January 20, 2024, New York City enacted a law that will create a private right of action allowing employees to file lawsuits in court alleging violations of the city’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) within two years...more
On September 15, 2023, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection adopted new amended rules related to New York City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act. The amended rules take effect on October 15, 2023....more
On June 21, 2023, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) published updated regulations concerning the New York State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (NYS WARN Act)....more
On April 11, 2023, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) finalized updates to the state’s “Sexual Harassment Model Policy” that provides employers a template to aid their compliance with New York State laws...more
4/18/2023
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Model Rules ,
Online Platforms ,
Remote Working ,
Retaliation ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws
On December 28, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law an amendment to Section 2 of the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act). As we previously reported, among its other provisions, the NY HERO Act...more
In accordance with its quadrennial obligation to evaluate the impact of New York State’s Model Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy in the workplace, on January 12, 2023, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), in...more
In an acknowledgement of the increase in remote work, on December 16, 2022, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Senate Bill S6805, which amends section 201 of the New York Labor Law to require New York State...more
On December 22, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) published highly anticipated final regulations in the New York State Register regarding New York State Paid Sick Leave (PSL), which went into effect on...more
On December 22, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) published highly anticipated proposed regulations in the New York State Register regarding section 2 of the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY...more
On May 5, 2021, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act), which “mandates extensive new workplace health and safety protections in response to the COVID-19...more
7/12/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Forms ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Model Forms ,
New Legislation ,
OSHA ,
Safety Precautions ,
State Health Departments ,
Workplace Safety
Echoing his mantra of building back better, on May 5, 2021, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act), which mandates extensive new workplace health and safety...more
5/6/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Legislation ,
OSH Act ,
OSHA ,
Preemption ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Workplace Safety
On January 5, 2021, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation that effectively ends at-will employment for fast food employees in New York City. The new law takes effect on July 4, 2021, and would make New York...more
1/12/2021
/ American Arbitration Association ,
Arbitration ,
At-Will Employment ,
Fair Workweek ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Preemption
On April 3, 2020, New York State enacted a statewide paid sick leave (PSL) law impacting all private employers in New York. The law requires employers to provide up to 40 or 56 hours of annual sick leave (depending on their...more
The year 2020 has certainly come with its share of new challenges. Now, with the presidential election less than a month away, heightened tensions around the country, new remote work environments, videoconferences offering a...more
Effective as of March 21, 2020, New York State’s Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act (SHIELD Act)requires that nearly all businesses, regardless of where they are based, take affirmative steps to protect...more
By March 21, 2020, nearly every business - not only those that conduct business in New York State - that owns or licenses computerized data that includes the private information of any New York State resident, will be...more
3/12/2020
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Encryption ,
Governor Cuomo ,
New Legislation ,
Personal Information ,
Security and Privacy Controls ,
SHIELD Act
Taking a page out of New York City’s book to address the estimated 36 percent of workers in Westchester County, New York, who lack paid sick leave benefits, in October 2018 the Westchester County Board of Legislators passed...more
4/15/2019
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Covered Employees ,
Domestic Workers ,
Earned Sick Time ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Local Ordinance ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Communication
As we previously reported here, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently enacted an aggressive anti-sexual harassment law with stringent requirements for employers’ anti-harassment policies and training. A key component of the...more