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New York HERO Act Alert: COVID-19 Designated as Highly Contagious Communicable Disease

On September 6, 2021, New York State Commissioner of Health Howard A. Zucker designated COVID-19 as “a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health in New York State.” As a result of the commissioner’s designation, employers are required to activate their airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plans in accordance with the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act).

Simone R.D. Francis St. Thomas
New York Author

The Aftermath of the Cuomo Investigation Report: Lessons for Employers

The New York attorney general’s August 3, 2021, report regarding the sexual harassment allegations brought against former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, “Report of Investigation Into Allegations of Sexual Harassment by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo,” contains extraordinary detail to support the conclusion that Cuomo “sexually harassed a number of current and former New York State employees.” Beyond noting the political consequences of the investigation, employers in New York and elsewhere may wish to consider utilizing these recent developments as an opportunity to reassess their workplace practices to minimize the likelihood of events occurring similar to those described in the report. Among the many potential action items and considerations, below are tips on training, education, and communication that employers may wish to explore as a result of the Cuomo report.

Simone R.D. Francis St. Thomas
New York Author

The Key to NYC: Unlocking the City Starts With COVID-19 Vaccination Proof for Dining, Fitness, and Entertainment Venues

On August 3, 2021, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that proof of vaccination would be required for individuals to enter certain indoor establishments. In a first of its kind mandate, New York City officially implemented the “Key to NYC” through Emergency Executive Order 225, which became effective on August 17, 2021.

Kelly M. Cardin Stamford
New York Author

Jessica R. Schild New York Author

New York HERO Act: Exposure Prevention Standard and Model Plans Are Here

On May 5, 2021, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act), which “mandates extensive new workplace health and safety protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Simone R.D. Francis St. Thomas
New York Author

Jamie Haar New York Author

New York Governor Lifts COVID-19 Guidance and Signs Legislation Amending the HERO Act

On May 5, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act), which mandates workplace health and safety protections from any airborne infectious disease that the commissioner of health has designated as “a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health.” On June 11, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed legislation to amend the NY HERO Act. The amendments extend the effective date of section 1 of the act, pertaining to the creation and adoption of airborne infectious disease plans. Pursuant to the amendment, section 1 will take effect on July 5, 2021. Section 2, which pertains to the establishment of workplace safety committees, will take effect on November 1, 2021.

Simone R.D. Francis St. Thomas
New York Author

The New York HERO Act’s Proposed Amendments: What Employers Need to Know

On May 5, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act), which mandates extensive new workplace health and safety protections for all airborne infectious diseases. This action was quickly followed by the New York State Assembly’s May 10, 2021, and the New York State Senate’s May 14, 2021, introduction of identical bills to amend certain provisions of the NY HERO Act.

Simone R.D. Francis St. Thomas
New York Author

Jamie Haar New York Author

The New York HERO Act: What Employers Need to Know

Echoing his mantra of building back better, on May 5, 2021, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act), which mandates extensive new workplace health and safety protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Melissa A. Bailey Washington D.C. Author

Simone R.D. Francis St. Thomas
New York Author

Jamie Haar New York Author

Marijuana Laws Affecting the Workplace: Tools Employers Can Use to Stay Ahead During High Times

States have been busy when it comes to marijuana laws. Before the mid-2010s, employers tended not to worry about state marijuana laws because of marijuana’s illegal status under federal law. However, those days are over, and state marijuana legalization laws continue to affect how employers can run their workplaces.

M. Tae Phillips Birmingham Author

New York Legalizes Recreational Marijuana: Altered States for Employers

On March 31, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), which legalizes the adult recreational use of marijuana and revises Section 201-d of the New York Labor Law. The MRTA’s antidiscrimination employment provisions took effect immediately.

Patrick M. Collins New York Author

Aaron Warshaw New York Author

Kelly M. Cardin Stamford
New York Author

Jessica R. Schild New York Author

New York State Issues FAQs for Paid COVID-19 Vaccine Leave

On March 12, 2021, New York State enacted a law that requires all employers to provide their New York employees with up to four hours of paid time off per injection to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. At the time of enactment, the law did not provide guidance on certain key issues. Recently, the New York State Department of Labor published answers to some questions that many employers have been asking.

Kelly M. Cardin Stamford
New York Author

Jessica R. Schild New York Author

New York’s COVID-19 Vaccine Law: Employers Now Required to Provide Paid Vaccine Leave

On March 12, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law legislation requiring all employers, both public and private sector, to provide employees with up to four hours of paid time off per injection to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The law took effect immediately.

Kelly M. Cardin Stamford
New York Author

Jessica R. Schild New York Author

Marijuana Legalization Update: Early 2021 Legislative Developments

In November 2020, voters in five states (Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota) voted in favor of legalizing medical and/or recreational marijuana. Since then, there have been several developments within the marijuana legalization world that employers may want to keep an eye on as they move forward in 2021.

M. Tae Phillips Birmingham Author

COVID-19–Related Employment Litigation: How It Started … How It’s Going

Over 1,500 COVID-19–related employment lawsuits were filed in the United States in 2020. Ogletree Deakins’ Interactive COVID-19 Litigation Tracker highlights the industries impacted, locations, and types of claims in these matters.

Natalie M. Stevens Cleveland Author

Corey N. Thrush Cleveland Author

Brent D. Kettelkamp Minneapolis Author

Claudia M. Tran Kansas City Author

But Wait There’s More: New York Expands COVID-19 Employee Leave Benefits

The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) issued guidance on January 20, 2021, clarifying certain aspects of New York’s COVID-19–related quarantine leave law and expanding certain benefits under the law. Parts of the guidance came as a surprise to some employers, as they appear to impose additional obligations on employers to pay employees if they require the employees to remain out of work due to potential COVID-19 exposure.

Kelly M. Cardin Stamford
New York Author

Jessica R. Schild New York Author

New York City Amends Fair Chance Factors Under Ban-the-Box Law

On December 10, 2020, the New York City Council amended New York City’s Fair Chance Act (FCA), also known as the “ban the box” law. The recently enacted amendments will take effect on July 29, 2021.

James R. Silvers Greenville Author

Erik D. Mass New York Author

New York City Says Goodbye to At-Will Employment for the Fast Food Industry

On January 5, 2021, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation that effectively ends at-will employment for fast food employees in New York City. The new law takes effect on July 4, 2021, and would make New York City the nation’s first jurisdiction to create job protections for a particular industry. However, at least some portions of the new law may be ripe to challenge on federal preemption and other grounds.

Aaron Warshaw New York Author

Jamie Haar New York Author

Jessica R. Schild New York Author

2021 State Minimum Wage Increases

Several states’ minimum wage rates will increase in 2021. The following chart lists the state (and certain major locality) minimum wage increases for 2021—and future years, if available—along with the related changes in the maximum tip credit and minimum cash wage for tipped employees.

Charles E. McDonald, III Greenville Author

New York State Publishes Proposed Paid Sick Leave Regulations

Earlier this year, New York State enacted a statewide paid sick leave (PSL) law, which took effect on September 30, 2020. Entitlement to use leave under the law begins on January 1, 2021, and, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) has published PSL guidance and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). In order to provide greater clarity concerning the requirements of the law, on December 9, 2020, the NYSDOL published proposed regulations.

Simone R.D. Francis St. Thomas
New York Author

Christina M. Schmid New York Author

Federal Court in New York Dismisses COVID-19 Workplace Safety Case

On November 1, 2020, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Palmer et al. v. Amazon.com Inc. et al., No. 20-cv-2468, 2020 WL 6388599, dismissed a lawsuit against Amazon alleging failures to comply with New York law and “New York Forward” minimum requirements for businesses.

Simone R.D. Francis St. Thomas
New York Author

Erik D. Mass New York Author

Time to Vote: Employee and Employer Voting Leave Rights and Obligations for the 2020 Elections

Elections in the United States are scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Not only will the office of president of the United States be contested, but all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate are up for grabs. At the state level, elections will be held for the governorships of 11 U.S. states and 2 U.S. territories.

New York State Issues Guidance and FAQs for Paid Sick Leave Law

On April 3, 2020, New York State enacted a statewide paid sick leave (PSL) law impacting all private employers in New York. The law requires employers to provide up to 40 or 56 hours of annual sick leave (depending on their size and net income).

Daniel M. Bernstein New York Author

Simone R.D. Francis St. Thomas
New York Author

Jamie Haar New York Author

Aaron Warshaw New York Author

Is Politics at Work Business as Usual? What New York Employers Need to Know as the Elections Approach

The year 2020 has certainly come with its share of new challenges. Now, with the presidential election less than a month away, heightened tensions around the country, new remote work environments, videoconferences offering a window into employees’ personal lives, face masks with political slogans, and so much more, New York employers might want to start thinking through what employee political conduct they can and can’t regulate this election season.

Jamie Haar New York Author

Kelly M. Cardin Stamford
New York Author

NYC Employers, Get Ready: City Issues New Requirements for Earned Safe and Sick Time Act

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law New York City Council Int. No. 2032-A on September 28, 2020, after the city council passed the bill a few days earlier. The legislation, which took effect on September 30, 2020, amends the New York City Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) and generally aligns the ESSTA with the New York State Sick Leave Law (New York Labor Law § 196-b) (NYSSLL), the accrual provisions of which also took effect on September 30, 2020.

Kelly M. Cardin Stamford
New York Author

Jessica R. Schild New York Author

Employers, Don’t Let Your Guard Down: COVID-19–Related Employment Lawsuits Are in Full Swing

We previously reported on COVID-19–related employment lawsuits that we tracked from late March 2020 through early May 2020. Since then, the number of lawsuits has steadily risen as employers have resumed operations after shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders were lifted and students returned to school in virtual or hybrid environments. To track this litigation and to identify trends, we developed an Interactive COVID-19 Litigation Tracker that details where COVID-19–related litigation is taking place by state, the industries affected, and the types of claims asserted against employers and educational institutions.

Hal A. Shillingstad Minneapolis Author

Natalie M. Stevens Cleveland Author

New York Federal District Court Vacates Significant Portion of DOL’s Joint-Employer Rule

On September 8, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York vacated the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final joint-employer rule, which limited when multiple businesses involved in an employment relationship could be liable for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Christina L. Wabiszewski Milwaukee Author

Second Circuit Limits Scope of Injunction on Public Charge Rule to Connecticut, New York, and Vermont

On August 12, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit limited the scope of a nationwide injunction that had blocked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from implementing and enforcing the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds final rule (commonly called the “public charge rule”) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision, which came only days after a series of recent federal court decisions on the controversial rule, restricts the scope of the nationwide injunction to only those states under the jurisdiction of the Second Circuit.

Brian D. Bumgardner Raleigh Author

DHS Blocked From Enforcing New Public Charge Rule During COVID-19 Pandemic

On July 29, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued an injunction immediately blocking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from enforcing the Trump administration’s new public charge rule during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New York Federal Court Says DOL ‘Jumped the Rail’ When It Issued FFCRA Regulations

On August 3, 2020, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York upended several employer-friendly limitations in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regulations implementing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Specifically, the court struck down the DOL’s regulations regarding: (1) the requirement that employers actually have work available for employees in order to be eligible for leave; (2) the broad definition of “health care provider” under the final rule; (3) the requirement that employees obtain employer approval for intermittent leave; and (4) the requirement that employees provide documentation prior to taking FFCRA leave.

Burton D. Garland, Jr. St. Louis Author

Erik D. Mass New York Author

New York State Imposes Restrictions on Travelers Due to COVID-19 Resurgence

On June 24, 2020, in response to the ongoing risk posed by a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in some states, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued Executive Order (EO) 205 directing the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to issue a travel advisory for all persons entering New York from states with significant rates of transmission of COVID-19. The travel advisory became effective at 12:01 a.m. on June 25, 2020.

Christina M. Schmid New York Author

Patrick M. Collins New York Author

State COVID-19 Orders Regulating Worker Safety—Are They Preempted?

Almost every state has issued closure orders designating certain businesses as “essential” and allowing them to continue to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some states have recently issued orders expressly or implicitly regulating the safety and health of workers at those essential businesses. Are some or all of the provisions in these orders preempted by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act)? It depends.

Melissa A. Bailey Washington D.C. Author

John F. Martin Washington D.C. Author

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