On May 11, 2023, the New York City Council approved a bill to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of an individual’s height or weight. The bill, Int. No. 209-A, was sent to Mayor Eric Adams for final approval following a 44–5 vote.
On April 11, 2023, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) finalized updates to the state’s “Sexual Harassment Model Policy” that provides employers a template to aid their compliance with New York State laws prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace. The department further released an updated training video and new model training presentation slides that incorporate the additions to the new policy.
On April 6, 2023, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) adopted highly anticipated final rules implementing the city’s law regulating the use of automated employment decision tools (AEDT) tools in hiring that will take effect on July 5, 2023. The AEDT law, which took effect on January 1, 2023, restricts the use of automated employment decision tools and artificial intelligence (AI) by employers and employment agencies by requiring that such tools be subjected to bias audits and requiring employers and employment agencies to notify employees and job candidates that such tools are being used to evaluate them.
In December 2022, Ogletree Deakins launched its OSHA Tracker based on analysis of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) publicly available inspection and citation data, which dates back to the 1970s. Now, in addition to featuring individual state data and OSHA regional information, the OSHA Tracker has been enhanced with city information.
With the September 17, 2023 effective date for New York’s new pay range disclosure requirements approaching, state lawmakers recently amended the law to clarify the scope of remote jobs to which the law applies and to relieve certain information retention requirements for employers. On March 3, 2023, New York governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill S1326, amending the new pay transparency law that will require employers to disclose minimum and maximum annual salaries or hourly wages in advertisements for jobs, internal promotions, or transfer opportunities.
On February 16, 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the creation of a special unit to “investigate and prosecute” wage theft, harassment, and exploitation of workers. He also announced the establishment, in partnership with the New York State Department of Labor, of a fund to repay victims of such crimes. D.A. Bragg and his office further declared support for a proposed bill in the New York state legislature that would expand the existing crime of larceny to include wage theft.
Connecticut, Indiana, New York, Rhode Island, and Utah are among the latest states to propose further limitations on the use of post-employment restrictive covenants. Connecticut’s House Bill (HB) 6594 and New York’s Senate Bill (S) 3100 would prohibit the use of noncompetes with a wide swath of employees and independent contractors. Indiana’s Senate Bill (SB) 7, Rhode Island’s House Bill (H) 5284, and Utah’s Senate Bill (SB) 170 are more narrow and would only prohibit the use of noncompetes for certain medical professionals.
On February 2, 2023, the New York City Council introduced a bill (Int. No. 907) that proposes changes to Local Law 32, New York City’s current salary disclosure law, which became effective on November 1, 2022.
On December 28, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law an amendment to Section 2 of the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act). The amendment, which took effect immediately upon signing, provides that “[a]n employer must recognize within five business days the establishment of a workplace safety committee.”
On January 17, 2023, a New York trial court judge struck down the state’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, ruling that the New York State Department of Health (DOH) acted outside its authority and noting that “the COVID-19 shots do not prevent transmission.”
On January 23, 2023, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection held a public hearing on updated proposed rules to implement the city’s automated employment decision tools law (Local Law 144).
In accordance with its quadrennial obligation to evaluate the impact of New York State’s Model Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy in the workplace, on January 12, 2023, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), in consultation with the New York State Division of Human Rights, published a proposed updated model sexual harassment prevention policy.
Employers in Albany County, New York, will soon be required to disclose expected pay ranges in job postings under a new pay transparency law. The law, which is expected to go into effect on March 9, 2023, adds Albany County to the growing list of jurisdictions across New York State with similar pay transparency requirements.
New York City is considering a bill known as the “Secure Jobs Act,” which would prohibit employers from discharging employees without “just cause” and advanced notice in most cases. Introduced on December 7, 2022, Int 0837-2022 would further restrict employers’ use of electronic monitoring and biometric data in making discharge and disciplinary decisions, and provide other protections for workers.
In an acknowledgement of the increase in remote work, on December 16, 2022, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Senate Bill S6805, which amends section 201 of the New York Labor Law to require New York State employers to make available electronically notices and posters that are required by law to be physically posted in the workplace.
On December 23, 2022, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) published updated proposed rules to implement the city’s automated employment decision tools (AEDT) law (Local Law 144). The law conditions the use of automated employment decision tools to screen candidates for employment or employees for promotion within the city on compliance with certain requirements, including the performance of a bias audit, and the furnishing of notifications to candidates and employees.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed a law that expands breastfeeding accommodations, bringing the standards for private employers in line with those for public employers in the state.
On December 21, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill S9427A into law, six months after the New York State Legislature passed the pay disclosure bill. The law takes effect on September 17, 2023.
Several state and local minimum wage rates will increase in 2023, with a majority of the changes effective on January 1, 2023. The following chart lists state and certain major locality minimum wage increases for 2023—and future years, if available—along with the related changes in the maximum tip credit and minimum cash wage for tipped employees.
With the January 1, 2023, effective date of New York City’s automated employment decision tools law looming, the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection announced on December 12, 2022, that it intended to convene a second public hearing and postpone enforcement of the law until April 15, 2023.
On November 21, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Senate Bill S1958A, which amends section 215 of the New York Labor Law (NYLL) to enhance protections for employees who take legally protected absences. The law takes effect on February 19, 2023.
On November 1, 2022, New York City’s pay transparency law went into effect, requiring most employers in New York City to post salary ranges in job advertisements, including postings for internal opportunities.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, pay transparency laws began to crop up around the country. These laws often require companies to post or disclose pay ranges for available jobs and are aimed at closing pay gaps and ensuring pay equity.
On October 25, 2022, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Richmond County, upheld a challenge to New York City’s vaccine mandate for public-sector employees, ordered the immediate reinstatement of and back pay to former New York City Department of Sanitation employees who had challenged the mandate, and declared the vaccine mandate for private-sector employees to be arbitrary and capricious.
On September 23, 2022, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection published proposed rules to implement the city’s automated employment decision tools (AEDT) law. The law, which will take effect on January 1, 2023, conditions the use of automated employment decision tools by employers and employment agencies on their compliance with certain requirements, including the performance of bias audits and the furnishing of notifications to candidates and employees. The proposed rules define several key terms, identify the requirements for a bias audit, address obligations for publishing the results of a bias audit, and specify the notices to be furnished to employees and candidates for employment.
As we previously reported, restrictions concerning the use of automated tools to screen candidates for employment or employees for promotion within New York City are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2023. The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will hold a public hearing concerning proposed rules to implement the closely watched law on Monday, October 24, 2022.
On September 20, 2022, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that New York City’s private-sector vaccine mandate would become optional for businesses, beginning on November 1, 2022. The first-in-the-nation COVID-19 vaccination mandate for private-sector workers enacted by former mayor Bill de Blasio took effect on December 27, 2021.
On July 19, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the launch of a statewide confidential hotline for complaints of workplace sexual harassment. The hotline was provided under Senate Bill No. S812B, which Governor Hochul signed into law on March 16, 2022, as part of a legislative package enacted to address sexual harassment in the workplace.
On June 1, 2022, the New York State Legislature passed Senate Bill S9427A, which would amend the New York Labor Law (NYLL) by requiring that employers disclose compensation ranges in job, promotion, and transfer advertisements. This bill comes on the heels of New York City’s recent enactment of a similar law.
On May 12, 2022, New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed Introduction Number (Int. No.) 134-A into law, just days before the current salary disclosure law was set to take effect. New York City’s salary disclosure law will now take effect on November 1, 2022.
