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
Employers with workers in New York State may want to start preparing now for several new rules that will take effect on January 1, 2025. Most of them are likely to impact employers’ bottom lines....more
On November 4, 2024, New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed legislation to ensure hotel safety that will mandate a comprehensive licensing system for hotels to operate in New York City, implement several consumer safety...more
In an era when artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the workplace, Illinois has joined the growing list of states taking legislative action to further regulate the use of AI in employment settings, which...more
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 March 4, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit struck down a part of a politically charged Florida law known as the “Stop WOKE Act” that sought to restrict workplace training on certain diversity,...more
3/15/2024
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Free Speech ,
New Legislation ,
Racial Bias ,
Stop Woke Act ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College ,
Title VII
On September 6, 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law that prohibits employers from requiring employees to attend employer-sponsored meetings the “primary purpose” of which is to communicate the employer’s...more
Under an amendment to the New York Civil Rights Law that will take effect on May 7, 2022, private-sector employers that monitor their employees’ use of telephones, emails, and the internet must provide notice of such...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
Earlier this year, New York State enacted a statewide paid sick leave (PSL) law, which took effect on September 30, 2020. Entitlement to use leave under the law begins on January 1, 2021, and, the New York State Department of...more
As we previously reported this past summer, the New York State Senate and Assembly passed Senate Bill 6549, which amended Section 194 of the New York Labor Law to prohibit wage differentials based on any protected class. As...more
10/2/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Deadlines ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Human Rights Act ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Protected Class ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
As we previously reported, the New York State Senate and Assembly passed an omnibus bill that overhauls New York’s antidiscrimination laws and uproot precedent upon which employers have relied for decades in defending...more
8/14/2019
/ Arbitration ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Harassment ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
NYCHRL ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
As we previously reported, the New York State Senate and Assembly recently passed Senate Bill 5248A and Senate Bill 6549. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed both bills, and both became law on July 10, 2019.
Senate Bill 5248A,...more
As we previously reported, New York State and New York City has passed sweeping laws aimed at combating sexual harassment in the workplace last year. While many requirements of these laws already went into effect in 2018, the...more
1/17/2019
/ Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Commission on Human Rights ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
NYCHRL ,
Posting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
On November 10, 2018, the U.S. Virgin Islands joined the “ban-the-box” movement by enacting legislation regulating employers’ use of the criminal records of applicants and employees. Currently, 32 states and over 150...more
On April 10, 2018, Westchester Country Executive George Latimer signed into law the Wage History Anti-Discrimination Law, which was adopted by a unanimous vote of the Westchester County Board of Legislators a day earlier. The...more
On March 23, 2016, the U.S. Virgin Islands joined the growing list of states, municipalities, and territories that have adjusted their minimum wage above the federal minimum wage, which has been set at $7.25 per hour since...more