Posts
June 09 2023
Client Alert: NYS Senate Passes Sweat 2.0 Bill – Help Stop It From Becoming Law
Last night, the NYS Senate passed S.7539, the new wage theft legislation.
Click here to read the alert.
June 08 2023
Client Alert: Employers Facing New Lactation-At-Work Requirements
New York City employers have long been required to provide employees with reasonable break time to express breast milk (i.e., “pump”) during the workday, and to provide a designated “lactation room” free from intrusion for that purpose. New York State has now expanded protections for employees statewide.
Click here to read the alert.
June 01 2023
Client Alert: Call To Action: The Sweat Act Is Once Again On The Table
The Securing Wages Enforced Against Theft (“SWEAT”) Act is starting to gain traction in the State legislature again. This harmful legislation would allow for employees who believe they are victims of wage theft to take out a personal lien on business owners, managers, and other shareholders before proving their case. If passed, we would likely see a dramatic increase in the amount of litigation in this space and this bill would severely hamper businesses from being able to operate.
Click here to read the alert.
May 30 2023
Client Alert: New York City Enacts Height and Weight Anti-Discrimination Law
Last Friday, May 26, 2023, New York City enacted an anti-discrimination law that prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and access to public businesses based on an individual’s height or weight. This new law will go into effect on November 22, 2023.
Click here to read the alert.
January 11 2023
Client Alert: Governor Hochul Proposes Minimum Wage Increases For New Yorkers
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a proposal to increase the minimum wage across New York State. Under the proposed plan – which is sparse on details and has no current timeline for implementation – the New York State minimum wage would be indexed to inflation and increase annually at a rate determined by the growth in the year-over-year Consumer Price Index for Wage Earners for the Northeast Region.
Click here to read the alert.
January 06 2023
Client Alert: Nationwide Non-Compete Ban May Be on The Horizon
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a proposed rule that would essentially ban all non-compete agreements between businesses and their employees, as well as any independent contractors engaged by the business. This would also extend to non-disclosure agreements that are drafted so broadly as to essentially preclude the worker from working in the same field. As proposed, the only exception would be in connection with the sale of a business or otherwise disposing of all of the person’s ownership interest in the business entity.
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January 04 2023
Client Alert: Reminders for New York Employers Amid the COVID-19 Winter Surge
As 2023 has arrived and COVID-19 cases are back on the rise, we take this opportunity to remind New York employers of their continuing obligations regarding COVID-19 when it comes to their employees, and of previous requirements that are no longer in effect.
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December 30 2022
Client Alert: NYS Cracks Down on HERO Act Workplace Safety Committees
As previously advised, for New York employers with at least 10 employees, the New York HERO Act allows employees to form a joint labor-management “workplace safety committee” comprised of at least 2/3 non-supervisory employees. The workplace safety committee is empowered to raise health and safety concerns to management, provide feedback on all employer policies required under the HERO Act, participate in government agency health and safety site visits, and meet at least once a quarter to discuss health and safety issues. Governor Hochul has now signed off on an amendment to the HERO Act.
Click here to read the alert.