New York Labor and Employment Law Report
May 28, 2021
At his press briefing on Thursday, May 27, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that employers will be required to provide paid sick leave to any employee who experiences side effects from the COVID-19 vaccination. Today, the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance concerning such leave.
May 10, 2021
The New York legislature has introduced two pieces of legislation that will greatly impact how healthcare facilities in the state are staffed. The first bill, A108/S1168, pertains to hospitals, and the second bill, S.6346/A.7119, pertains to nursing homes. Both proposed laws have passed the Senate and Assembly and await the governor’s signature.
May 6, 2021
On May 5, 2021, Governor Cuomo officially signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO Act) into law. The HERO Act effectively imposes significant obligations on covered employers to provide and maintain a safe workplace in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and for future airborne infectious disease outbreaks. As previously reported, the HERO Act amended the New York Labor Law by adding two new sections: (1) Section 218-b, which governs development and adoption of an airborne infectious disease prevention policy; and (2) Section 27-D, that requires employers to permit the creation of workplace safety committees. Both sections only apply to private sector employers. However, Section 27-D specifically only applies to private employers with at least 10 employees.
April 30, 2021
On April 20, 2021, the New York Legislature passed the “New York Health and Essential Rights Act” or “HERO Act.” To date, the bill has not been signed by the Governor, but we expect it to be executed in the near future. The bill, as written, would impose significant obligations on employers, regardless of size, in an effort to prevent exposure to airborne infectious diseases.
April 1, 2021
Following in the footsteps of more than a dozen other states, on March 31, 2021, New York passed legislation legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for individuals over the age of 21.
The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (the Act) legalizes the licensed cultivation and distribution, as well as the use and possession, of recreational marijuana in New York State. Though medical marijuana has been legal in New York since the Compassionate Care Act was passed in 2014, the Act significantly expands the lawful use of marijuana in the state.
Read More >> What the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Means for New York Employers
April 1, 2021
On April 1, 2021 the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) officially updated its Interim Guidance for Quarantine Restrictions on Travelers Arriving in New York State to remove the quarantine requirement for domestic travelers arriving in New York State from other U.S. States or territories. This updated guidance document has been anticipated since Governor Cuomo announced on March 11, 2021, that the domestic traveler quarantine requirement would be lifted on April 1.
Read More >> New York Officially Lifts Travel Quarantine Requirement for Domestic Travelers
March 30, 2021
On March 12, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed a new law that grants paid leave to employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Under the statute, employees may take up to four hours of paid time off per vaccine injection. A link to our prior post discussing the statute is available here.
Read More >> New York Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccinations
March 15, 2021
On Friday, March 12, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed a new law that will allow employees in New York State to take up to four hours off from work, with pay, to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
Read More >> New York Employees Will Receive Paid Time Off for COVID-19 Vaccination
March 4, 2021
A recent case from the Appellate Division, First Department – King v. Marsh & McLennan Agency, LLC, 2021 N.Y. Slip. Op. 00909 (1st Dept. Feb. 11, 2021) – serves as a reminder that, depending on where your business is located within the state of New York, a different rule applies for the enforceability of your employee non-competition and non-solicitation covenants in the event of a termination without cause.
February 12, 2021
On Jan. 28, the New York State Appellate Division, First Department, issued a decision with potentially significant implications for employers confronted with their employees’ use of medical marijuana.
Read More >> Employer Discrimination Against Certified Medical Marijuana Users
January 25, 2021
On Jan. 20, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor issued guidance regarding the use of COVID-19 sick leave. This guidance clarifies certain issues and provides new obligations for employers.
December 11, 2020
Employers in New York will be required to comply with the new state minimum wage rates and the new state salary thresholds to qualify for the executive and administrative exemptions, effective December 31, 2020.
