Kerri Beatty 
The New York State Legislature recently passed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (the “Act”). If signed into law, the Act, which mirrors New York City’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act, would have provided protections to freelance workers/independent contractors. However, on December 23, 2022, Gov. Hochul vetoed Bill A9368/S8369B. The bill was modeled after the Freelance Isn’t … Read more
Governor Hochul has signed legislation that will require private sector employers throughout New York State to meet new time, space and notice requirements for accommodating employees who pump breast milk in the workplace. The new law will be effective on June 7, 2023. Specifically, pursuant to the new law, employers must provide a nursing employee with … Read more
As we previously reported, New York City passed legislation that protects individuals from unlawful bias by the employer when automated employment decision tools are used. Pursuant to the law, employers must conduct AI tool audits to confirm that such tools are not biased. The new law was initially slated to go into effect on January … Read more
On November 21, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Assembly Bill A8092B, which prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who take lawful absences pursuant to federal, state or local law. The law becomes effective February 19, 2023. Under Section 215 of the New York Labor Law, employers are prohibited from taking adverse employment action … Read more
Investigations in the workplace are inevitable. Employers must know the basics of conducting effective investigations to help their companies deal with workplace crises in ways that avoid and minimize liability. It is critical that employers are prepared to navigate these issues – all while remaining unbiased and objective. Employers should have a clear internal … Read more
The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) has announced another extension of the flexibility in complying with requirements related to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. The policy, which was originally announced on March 19, 2020, was previously set to expire on October 31, 2022. With this new extension, the … Read more