UPDATE: this law became effective on December 24, 2021, retroactive to November 2, 2021.
As previously discussed in our December 10, 2021 article, the New York City Council passed a bill requiring New York City employers...more
On November 23, 2021, the New York City Council passed a bill requiring New York City employers to provide employees who are parents or legal guardians of a child with four hours of paid COVID-19 child vaccination time, per...more
On September 6, 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that COVID-19 has been designated as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health under New York State’s...more
9/10/2021
/ Amended Legislation ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New York ,
NYDOL ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Safety Standards ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Safety
On August 3, 2021, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the “Key to NYC” program (“Key to NYC” or the “Program”), which implemented new mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements for employees and patrons of certain...more
8/19/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
New Regulations ,
New York ,
Penalties ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Vaccinations ,
Venue ,
Workplace Safety
As we previously reported, on May 5, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act” or the “Act”) into law. On July 6, 2021 the New York State Department of Labor (“NYSDOL”)...more
This week, both houses of the New York state legislature passed a package of amendments (the “Amendments”) to the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act” or the “Act”) designed to clarify, modify, and delay...more
6/15/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act ,
New Amendments ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
State Legislatures ,
Workplace Safety
On April 23, 2021, the New York state legislature delivered a copy of the Health and Essential Rights Act (the “HERO Act” or the “Act”) to Governor Andrew Cuomo for signature. The legislation was created as a response to...more
4/27/2021
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act ,
Masks ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
NYDOL ,
Screening Procedures ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Safety
On January 20, 2021 – nearly a year after the law’s effective date – the New York Department of Labor (“NYDOL”) issued new guidance (the “Guidance”) for employers regarding the scope of available sick leave for employees...more
2/3/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Leave of Absence ,
New Guidance ,
Paid Leave ,
Quarantine ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
Virus Testing
As previously noted in our blog, workers’ compensation is an emerging area of concern for employers during the COVID-19 crisis. For New York employers in the heart of the pandemic, the question of whether one of their...more
On March 27, 2020, the EEOC released a webinar addressing frequently asked employer questions regarding federal antidiscrimination laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), the Americans with...more
On March 20, 2020, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Executive Order No. 7H (the “Connecticut Executive Order”) restricting certain businesses from maintaining an in-person workforce. The Connecticut Executive Order,...more