New York state employers, it’s time to dust off and update your employee handbooks again. Earlier this month, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law that protects employees against discrimination on the basis of their reproductive health decision-making. The law, which mirrors a recent bill passed by New York City lawmakers, also requires that employers in … Continue Reading
On October 8, 2019, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in three landmark LGBTQ+ rights cases, which could broaden protections for the LGBTQ+ community by prohibiting employers from discriminating against employees based on their sexual orientation, transgender-status, or gender identity under federal law. Currently, conflicting federal cases and shifts in interpretation and policies at … Continue Reading
As we have previously reported here, California Assembly Bill 5 (the bill) is slated to codify the California Supreme Court’s 2018 landmark decision in Dynamex Operations West v. Superior Court of Los Angeles, requiring companies to apply the “ABC” test in classifying their workers. The ABC test requires that workers be considered “employees” instead of … Continue Reading
Following New York City’s lead, New York state and Westchester County have each enacted laws providing additional workplace protections to victims of domestic violence. In this post, we will discuss these new laws and their impact on your business. New York state: Last month, Governor Cuomo signed legislation amending the state’s antidiscrimination laws with respect … Continue Reading
On January 11, 2019, the National Labor Relations Board clarified and narrowed the standard for finding that an employee engaged in protected concerted activities under the National Labor Relations Act. See Alstate Maintenance, LLC, 367 NLRB No. 68 (2019). In doing so, the board overturned a 2011 decision – WorldMark by Wyndham, 356 NLRB 765 … Continue Reading
On December 28, 2018, a divided D.C. Circuit panel affirmed, in part, the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB’s or Board’s) Browning-Ferris joint-employer analysis. See Browning-Ferris Indus. of Cal., Inc. v. NLRB, No. 16-1028 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 28, 2018). The D.C. Circuit’s decision marks the latest chapter in the NLRB’s ever-shifting joint-employer standard. At issue on … Continue Reading
The Acting Administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (“WHD”) issued two new opinion letters on Friday, December 21, 2018. The first opines on whether a home health aide service’s compensation plan, which pays an average hourly rate that may vary from workweek to workweek, complies with the Fair Labor Standards … Continue Reading
The New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Act takes effect today, October 29, 2018. Just in time for flu season. If you are a New Jersey employer or an employer with employees in New Jersey, regardless of size or employee number, you are now required by law to provide one hour of sick leave for every … Continue Reading
Employers considering requiring their employees sign arbitration agreements with class waivers just got a real-world example of the effectiveness of such agreements. On September 25, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the enforceability of arbitration agreements signed by thousands of Uber drivers in California. In the underlying lawsuits, the Uber … Continue Reading
The United States District Court of New Jersey recently dismissed an employee’s disability discrimination, failure to accommodate and retaliation claims, holding that neither the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) nor the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (CUMMA) required the employer to waive its drug testing requirements. In Cotto v. Ardagh Glass Packing, … Continue Reading
The United States Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) makes clear that agency fee agreements in the public sector are unconstitutional under the First Amendment. Although Janus dealt with government employees, the potential impact on private sector employers also demands careful consideration. The Decision In Janus, … Continue Reading
On July 2, 2015, in Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures, Inc. and a related order, Wang v. The Hearst Corp., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a new test for determining whether interns must be treated and paid just like regular employees. Rejecting the test previously laid out by the U.S. Department … Continue Reading
Regardless of whether you believe the Supreme Court should have decided the issue, last week’s decision on marriage equality has the potential to benefit your business. Because the decision creates a uniform definition of marriage across the country, it may simplify administration of some employee benefits, thus saving corporations time and money. As discussed below, … Continue Reading
Just hours ago, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its highly anticipated proposed revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) so-called “white collar” exemptions, the first major update to the federal overtime rules in more than a decade. Although the proposed rule more than doubles the pay threshold for exempt employees – from … Continue Reading
Today’s New York employment law landscape is increasingly dynamic, with a constant stream of newly issued legislation and judicial opinions. To keep our readers current on the latest developments, we will share regular summaries of recent developments affecting Empire State employers. Here’s what happened in June 2015: Wage Board Recommendations Taking Shape? As we previously … Continue Reading
The California Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (“Healthy Families Act”) is fully effective July 1, 2015, including the significant potential for class-action liability for non-compliance. It is critical that employers ensure that their sick leave policy is current, given the ever-developing legal guidance. We have created a helpful list of common areas of … Continue Reading
The recent hacking attack against the Houston Astros is a wake-up call for all employers: no organization is safe from its adversaries’ attempts to steal proprietary information to gain a leg up in the competition. The infiltration of the Houston Astros’ network reportedly was carried out by employees of the Cardinals – an Astros’ arch … Continue Reading
The changes to employees’ rights to take leave under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) go into effect July 1, 2015. Your company should be prepared only if it has done the following: Reviewed the changes to the CFRA regulations, which may be found here. Updated your policies and employee handbooks to reflect the legal … Continue Reading
The Colorado Supreme Court issued its highly anticipated decision in Coats v. DISH Network, holding that the recreational use of marijuana is not a lawful activity under Colorado’s Lawful Activities Act (“Act”). The Act prohibits employers from terminating employees for off-hours lawful activities. The court applied the Act broadly, holding that the recreational use of … Continue Reading
As our nation’s built-in babysitters close shop for the next three months, the bulk of our nation’s workforce braces for the barrage of new summer stressors, including: the uncertain reliability of teenage babysitters needed to cover 7-8 extra childcare hours per day; the effective imposition of second full-time job duties at home, with predictably unpredictable … Continue Reading
It’s no secret that the EEOC—and even some courts—read Title VII to prohibit discrimination against transgender employees. A growing number of state and city laws also specifically include gender identity and/or expression as protected characteristics. But while employers may understand the legal dangers of firing someone for “coming out” as transgender, the extent of employers’ … Continue Reading
This post was also written by Megan E. Farrell. On June 1, 2015, the United States Supreme Court held that a job applicant can establish religious discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 without proof that the employer had “actual knowledge” of the applicant’s need for an accommodation; instead, the applicant … Continue Reading
Just weeks after prohibiting employers from using credit checks, the New York City Council Wednesday passed yet another bill that handcuffs businesses attempting to vet new job applicants. Most notably, the bill, commonly referred to as the Fair Chance Act (the Act), bars employers from inquiring about a job applicant’s criminal history before extending a conditional offer … Continue Reading
On May 27, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published updated model Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) notices and certification forms. Copies of the updated forms, which should be used through May 31, 2018, are available on the DOL’s website. The most notable change to the forms is their reference to the Genetic Information … Continue Reading
