The New York Health Commissioner has stated that the emergency designation of COVID-19 expires -- for now -- on September 30. And the Department of Labor issued Frequently Asked Questions to guide employers in activating...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a legislative package into law on July 8, 2021 that increases enforcement mechanisms for state agencies to impose a variety of penalties against employers who...more
New York City’s new law severely limiting at-will employment in the fast-food industry is scheduled to go into effect on July 4, 2021. Although a lawsuit seeking to enjoin the law is pending, covered employers should be...more
The New York State Legislature is keeping busy with new employment legislation as the local and national economies continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: New York City recently published regulations finalizing its prior guidance regarding race-based hairstyle discrimination, and also confirming that religious-based hairstyle discrimination, including for...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Connecticut Joins Its Tristate Neighbors by Becoming the Eighth State to Formally Amend Its Anti-Discrimination Laws to Include Hairstyle Discrimination as a Form of Race-Based Discrimination. This Law will...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The COVID-19 pandemic thrust remote working upon many employers without notice or adequate time to prepare. Now that employees are settling into longer-term remote working arrangements, employers are...more
The NYC Council has passed two bills that will end traditional at-will employment for fast-food employers in New York City. The bills were sent to Mayor Bill de Blasio for signature on December 17, 2020 and will take effect...more
12/21/2020
/ At-Will Employment ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Just Cause ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
Termination
Effective November 11, 2020, New York amended its Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (“NY WARN Act”) by expanding the government entities that must receive notice of a NY WARN Act triggering event, such as a...more
11/20/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Regulations ,
Layoff Notices ,
Layoffs ,
Notice Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
WARN Act
As COVID-19 cases surge across the country, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced additional mitigation orders on November 17, 2020 relating to interstate travel and mask wearing. These...more
11/20/2020
/ Business Closures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Local Ordinance ,
Masks ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Quarantine ,
Risk Mitigation ,
School Closures ,
Screening Procedures ,
State and Local Government ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Traveling Employee ,
Virus Testing
On June 19, Governor Wolf announced that 12 of the remaining 13 counties in the Commonwealth’s Yellow phase of reopening will be eligible to move into the Green phase this coming Friday, June 26....more
6/24/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Seating ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: New Jersey’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development released the required notice pertaining to misclassification of employees, which must be conspicuously posted by New Jersey employers. The law went...more
Despite some concern over the large protests over the past week, local and state officials have confirmed that the City of Philadelphia will enter the “Yellow” phase of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan. ...more
As previously discussed, 18 counties were moved into the “Green” phase of the Commonwealth’s phased reopening plan this past Friday, May 29, 2020. On that same day, the Wolf administration announced that 16 additional...more
As previously discussed, 18 counties will be moving to the “Green” phase of the Commonwealth’s phased reopening plan this coming Friday, May 29, 2020. ...more
On Friday, May 22, 2020, Governor Wolf made several significant announcements regarding additional counties set to reopen in Pennsylvania in the next few weeks. ...more
On the same day that many businesses in 13 Pennsylvania counties were permitted to partially reopen under the Commonwealth’s phased reopening plan, Governor Wolf announced that 12 additional counties, mostly in South Central...more
On the same day that businesses in 24 Pennsylvania counties were permitted to reopen under the Commonwealth’s phased reopening plan, Governor Wolf announced this afternoon that 13 additional counties, all in Western...more
As promised, the Governor of Pennsylvania released yesterday evening extensive guidance for businesses in “Yellow” counties that are permitted to reopen beginning May 8, 2020. This guidance will likely also serve as...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Murphy signed 153 bills into law on January 20, 2020, including six (6) that increase enforcement mechanisms for state agencies to impose certain penalties against employers who misclassify workers...more
1/27/2020
/ Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Penalties ,
Posting Requirements ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Stop Work Orders ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft
Seyfarth Synopsis: New Jersey Has Joined California and New York as the Third State to Formally Amend Its Anti-Discrimination Laws to Include Hairstyle Discrimination as a Form of Race-Based Discrimination. This Law is...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights recently released guidance clarifying that existing anti-discrimination laws prohibit employers from taking adverse employment actions or applying a grooming policy...more
On August 9, 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation (S.04037/A.4204) that prohibits employment discrimination based on religious attire, clothing, and facial hair. This law amends the New York State Human Rights Law...more