Kerri Beatty New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed into law a bill that extends New York State’s COVID-19 vaccine paid leave law for an additional year, through December 31, 2023. The law requires New York employers to provide employees with “a sufficient period of time, not to exceed four hours” of paid leave per dose (including … Read more
The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) released updated COVID-19 guidelines on August 11, 2022. While the CDC is currently in the process of updating its “Workplaces and Businesses” webpage to align its updated guidance, at this juncture, based on the updated guidelines, employers can revise their COVID-19 guidelines to address the … Read more
On July 29, 2022, New York State declared a state of disaster emergency in response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak. The Executive Order enables the state to respond more swiftly to the outbreak and allows health care professionals to take additional steps that will help get more New Yorkers vaccinated. In addition, on Saturday, July … Read more
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 provide protections to freelance workers/independent contractors. Specifically, the Act would amend the New York Labor Law to establish protections for covered freelance workers, including the … Read more
On July 19, 2022, the New York State Division of Human Rights (“NYSDHR”) established a confidential hotline at 1-800-HARASS-3 which allows individuals to report complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace and provide legal assistance to New York employees. Specifically, employees in New York State may now call 1-800-HARASS-3 (1-800-427-2773) for issues relating to workplace … Read more
On July 12, 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its COVID-19 FAQs, revising earlier guidance regarding permissible COVID-19 testing, workplace screening, and mandatory vaccine policies. We recommend that employers review the updated guidance in its entirety, which can be found at www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-covid-19-and-ada-rehabilitation-act-and-other-eeo-laws