For decades, businesses within New York State have been required by federal, state and, in certain cases, local law to physically post various notices and posters in the workplace. However, last month Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Senate Bill S6805, which mandates that Empire State employers now also make any legally-required notices and
US Alert
New Jersey WARN Act changes effective April 10, 2023
Pursuant to a Bill recently signed by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, the long-delayed changes to New Jersey’s mini-WARN Act will take effect on April 10, 2023. Employers in New Jersey contemplating a mass layoff, transfer of operations or termination of operations that will impact 50 or more employees (regardless of part-time or full-time status)…
New York enacts warehouse worker protection law
On December 21, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (WWPA) into law. The WWPA is intended to protect warehouse workers from unreasonably demanding work quotas and goes into effect on February 19, 2023.
As detailed in this post, the WWPA establishes new requirements for distribution centers to disclose work…
BREAKING: FTC proposes rule to ban U.S. non-compete agreements
As we discussed in an October 2021 article regarding the future of restrictive covenant agreements in the U.S., President Biden in July 2021 directed the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to explore potential ways to limit the use of non-compete agreements. On January 5, 2023, the FTC followed through on the President’s directive by proposing…
New York State enacts broad wage transparency law
As we detailed in a recent Thomson Reuters article, wage transparency laws have become the latest trend in US workplace-related legislation. Such laws have, to date, been enacted in noteworthy locales such as California, Colorado and New York City. On December 21, 2022, New York State became the latest jurisdiction to adopt a wage transparency…
NLRB makes it easier for unions to organize micro-units
Among a flurry of recent pro-union decisions, the National Labor Relations Board (Board) issued a decision on December 14, 2022 restoring an Obama-Era test for determining the appropriateness of a bargaining unit in representation proceedings. This recent decision is expected to give unions more power in determining the makeup of bargaining units and enable smaller…
Newly enacted “Speak Out Act” limits pre-dispute nondisclosure and nondisparagement clauses in employee agreements
On December 7, 2022, President Biden signed into law the much-heralded “Speak Out Act.” As the name suggests, the Act is designed to “empower survivors [of sexual harassment and sexual assault] to come forward” and “hold perpetrators accountable for abuse” while improving the safety and productivity of the workplace. The Act notes that “nondisclosure and…
New York City proposes bill to effectively eliminate “at will” employment
On December 8, 2022, three New York City Council Members proposed a workplace-related bill that would essentially do away with the concept of “at will” employment in the Big Apple. Suffice it to say, the proposed bill would, if passed, be an absolute game changer for businesses in one of the country’s largest commercial markets.…
California employment law legislative update: Employers must ring in 2023 with a host of new obligations
The deadline for California’s Governor to sign, approve without signing, or veto bills on his desk was September 30, 2022. We have compiled a comprehensive list of the major new laws and obligations that employers in the Golden State should know. As always, it is wise to consult with counsel to ensure that workplace policies…
Do we need to give employees paid time off to vote in the upcoming midterm elections?
With Election Day just around the corner, private employers should carefully review state voting leave laws to ensure they are in compliance. Voting leave laws vary by state, and depend on where the employees are actually located. We have prepared a quick-reference summary of the voting leave laws in those jurisdictions that have them, which…