For New York employers, fall has brought with it more than just cooler temperatures, thanks to a wave of activity from Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk (after a busy legislative summer). Below, we highlight six significant...more
11/13/2023
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Inventors ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Inventions ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
Ownership of Works ,
Political Expression ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Social Media ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
On September 15, 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed SB 5640 into law, adding New York to the growing list of states that restrict the enforcement of employee intellectual property assignment agreements....more
The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) recently released final—and significant—substantive changes to New York State’s model sexual harassment prevention policy (the “Final Updated Model Policy”) and related...more
On December 28, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Senate Bill 9450, which added new enforcement provisions to the New York Health And Essential Rights Act’s (NY HERO Act) workplace safety committee...more
November 1, 2022, is nigh. The date is significant for most employers in the City of New York because NYC Local Law 32, the salary transparency law (“the Law”), takes effect on that day....more
New York employers that monitor or otherwise intercept their employees’ electronic usage, access, or communication using any electronic devices or systems need to make sure they are following a state law enacted last year,...more
As we previously reported, on January 26, 2022, amendments to New York’s whistleblower law took effect that significantly expand the scope and coverage of whistleblower rights and protections for workers who allege they have...more
2/17/2022
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
State Labor Laws ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
As we previously reported, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance to shorten its isolation and quarantine requirements. Joining other states and localities, on January 4, 2022, the New York...more
The New York State Acting Commissioner of Health has extended the designation of COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to public health under the NY HERO Act until February...more
The city (and state) that never sleeps kept busy last year, enacting various laws that affect New York State and City employers in 2022. Below are some of the more recent enactments that employers should pay particular...more
1/10/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Masks ,
Minimum Salary ,
New York ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
As we previously reported, New York was one of the first states to require employers to provide paid COVID-19 vaccination leave for public and private employees. On November 23, 2021, the New York City Council approved a...more
On December 15, 2021, New York City followed up on the recently announced vaccine mandate for private employers by releasing further details, including several guidance documents and mandatory signage. The New York City...more
The Commissioner of the New York Department of Health has extended the designation of COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to public health under the NY HERO Act until...more
Employers that monitor their employees’ electronic activities should note that New York State will soon require employers to (i) provide written or electronic notice to employees upon hiring of such monitoring in the...more
On December 6, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City would be adding new rules and requirements for vaccination against COVID-19, including a “universal” vaccine mandate affecting all private employers—about...more
On September 6, 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she has designated COVID-19 a serious public health risk under the NY HERO Act (“HERO Act”). As we have previously reported, the HERO Act, which was signed...more
As businesses find useful new ways to harness the evolving technology that captures and analyzes human biometric data, legal regulation of such technology’s usage is also developing, responding to concerns about personal...more
8/20/2021
/ Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
New York ,
Personal Data ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Privacy Laws ,
SHIELD Act ,
State and Local Government
As we previously advised, the City of New York amended its Fair Chance Act (“FCA”)—also known as the “ban the box” law—which limits the types of inquiries employers can make regarding criminal history during the hiring...more
The clock is now running: New York employers have until August 5, 2021, to adopt workplace safety plans, in accordance with the NY HERO Act (“Act”). As we previously reported, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Act into law on...more
7/12/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New York ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Safety
Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state disaster emergency he declared on March 7, 2020, due to COVID-19 would officially end after June 24, 2021. He then signed Executive Order No. 210, which...more
7/1/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
New York ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Safety Precautions ,
State and Local Government ,
State of Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On June 14, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law amendments (“Amendments”) to the recently enacted HERO Act (“Act”). The Act imposed significant workplace health and safety obligations on New York employers,...more
On June 15, 2021, New York State celebrated reaching 70 percent of its adult population having received at least one vaccination dose. As a result, the State lifted most of its New York Forward industry-specific COVID-19...more
At long last, on June 8, 2021, the New York State Department of Health (“DOH”) released an update to Interim Guidance previously issued on May 15, 2021, containing current recommendations for employers that operate in an...more
6/11/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
New York ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Popular ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Taking the lead on permanently enshrining COVID-19-related health and safety protocols into law, on May 5, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed A2681B/S1034—the Health and Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act” or “Act”)....more
5/14/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New York ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Workplace Safety
On January 10, 2021, Int. 1314-A (“Law”) was enacted, and it goes into effect on July 28, 2021. The Law significantly expands job applicants’ protections under New York City’s Fair Chance Act (“FCA”), otherwise known as the...more
3/11/2021
/ Background Checks ,
Ban the Box ,
Conditional Job Offers ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Criminal Records ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Labor Regulations ,
New York ,
State and Local Government