The enactment of paid sick leave laws began as a state and local employment law trend roughly a decade ago, gaining substantial momentum in the mid-2010’s.  Amidst this wave, New York City adopted a paid sick leave law in April 2014.  The City Council later amended the law – in May 2018 – to provide employees with “safe leave” as well.  And in 2019, Westchester County enacted its own paid sick and safe leave law.

Now, more than six years after NYC adopted the original iteration of its paid sick leave law, New York State has enacted its own statewide paid sick leave law (NYPSL), which takes effect on September 30, 2020.  Principally, NYPSL provides paid time off for certain sickness-related reasons, with the specific amount of time varying based on employer size and net income.  Below is a summary of the new law’s key provisions.
Continue Reading Everything you need to know about New York’s forthcoming statewide paid sick leave law

In addition to considerations under federal law, employers with employees in California should consider additional wage and hour issues that are unique to California. The Labor Commissioner’s Office has issued an FAQ to provide guidance on issues related to COVID-19.

If an exempt salaried employee performs any work during the week, that employee should be paid their salaried wage for the entire week. An employer’s obligations for non-exempt employees, however, are more specific. While generally, employers are not required to pay non-exempt employees for hours not worked, there are certain circumstances under California law when employers may have to pay non-exempt employees even for time not worked.Continue Reading California wage and hour considerations during the coronavirus outbreak