On Nov. 17, 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law amendments to New York’s General Obligations Law § 5-336 that prohibit the use of certain terms in release agreements. The amendments are principally intended to strengthen...more
As we head into a new year, it is important for employers to be aware of and plan for developments in various areas of employment law that have recently taken effect or will take effect in 2023. This alert highlights those...more
On Nov. 16, 2022, the House passed the “Speak Out Act,” which President Biden is expected to sign into law. The Act limits the enforceability of pre-dispute nondisclosure and non disparagement provisions relating to disputes...more
On March 3, President Biden signed H.R. 4445, the “Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021.” The Bill amends the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) to invalidate predispute agreements to...more
As the New York State Legislature neared the end of the 2019 session in June, it passed several bills amending the state’s laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment. We addressed the major provisions of these new bills...more
8/19/2019
/ #MeToo ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Arbitration ,
Dress Codes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Faragher/Ellerth defense ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Labor Regulations ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
NYSHRL ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
The New York State Legislature passed several bills at the end of its 2019 session which, yet again, will impact New York employers. Some of the new legislation further amends laws that were implemented last year, which...more
7/22/2019
/ #MeToo ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Arbitration ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Dress Codes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Faragher/Ellerth defense ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Labor Regulations ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
NYSHRL ,
Punitive Damages ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Service Professionals ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
How do you measure a year in labor and employment law? Likely not in daylights or sunsets, midnights, or cups of coffee — but rather in legislation! Clearly, the most significant developments last year concerned the rise of...more
2/26/2019
/ Breastfeeding ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Gender Identity ,
LGBTQ ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Leave ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Work Schedules
New York legislators have hit the ground running in 2019, enacting new legislation expanding employee protections at both state and city levels. ...more
2/14/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Gender Identity ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
Reproductive Discrimination ,
Retaliation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
State and Local Government
Now that the Times Square glitter has settled, it’s time to get started on tackling those New Year’s resolutions. Although updating your employee handbook may not have made your resolution list, 2018 brought a number of...more
1/29/2019
/ Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Breastfeeding ,
EEO-1 ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
NYCHRL ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Protected Class ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Safe Leave ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Undoubtedly, the No. 1 topic in the employment world today is sexual harassment and the rise of the #MeToo movement. Indeed, it is one of the top issues in American society generally, touching all industries. ...more