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On Friday, March 12, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill (S.2588A/A.3354B) that allows public and private New York employees to take paid time off to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Employees are permitted take up to four hours of leave per injection, meaning an employee who receives a vaccine that requires two doses…
Author Archives: Levy Ratner
Temporary Help with COBRA Costs Coming Soon
Did you lose your job during the pandemic and previously had employer-sponsored health coverage? Well, paying for continued health coverage through COBRA is about to become affordable for workers, but only temporarily. Under COBRA, workers who lose job-based health coverage because of termination of employment (other than for gross misconduct) or reduction in hours, may…
DOL Expands COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits for Unsafe Conditions
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers have made the difficult choice not to return to an unsafe workplace or to decline a new offer of unsafe work to avoid the risk of catching the virus. On February 25, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released guidance announcing that individuals in these situations, in addition…
New Federal Guidelines on COVID-19 Testing Coverage
Earlier What You Need To Know Now postings here and here explained that, under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and CARES Act, health plans are required to cover the cost of COVID-19 diagnostic testing and vaccination without any cost sharing (co-pays, deductibles, coinsurance). On February 26, 2021, in accordance with President Biden’s COVID-19 Executive…
OSHA Releases New COVID-19 Workplace Safety Guidance
On January 29, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released new guidance on best practices to mitigate and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. This guidance follows President Biden’s January 21, 2021 Executive Order calling for OSHA to issue new COVID-19-related workplace safety guidance. Looking ahead, the EO also called for…
NYC Broadens Fair Chance Act for Applicants with Criminal Records
In January 2021, amendments strengthening the NYC Fair Chance Act became law and will take effect on July 29, 2021. These amendments extend protections to employment applicants with pending criminal accusations and arrests, and convictions arising during employment. Employers may not inquire or act adversely against an applicant or employee with a non-pending arrest, adjournment…
Black History Month
This Black History Month we pause to recognize Black women as recent and historic key players in the U.S. political process. We celebrate the election of the first Black and South Asian woman to Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. We also celebrate the commitment and systematic organizing spearheaded, most notably by Stacey…
Will I need to pay for my COVID-19 vaccination?
You may be scrambling to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination for yourself or a loved one. But, will you be responsible for costs associated with vaccination? Earlier What You Need to Know Now posts here and here explained that all COVID-19 testing and associated costs must be covered without cost-sharing under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and…
Latest NY Labor Department Guidance on COVID-19 Sick Leave
In March 2020, New York State passed emergency legislation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that requires employers to provide job-protected COVID-19 sick leave to employees subject to an order of quarantine or isolation. See LR’s prior What You Need to Know Now updates on the legislation here and here. On January 20, 2021, the…
Understand How the Second Stimulus Affects Worker Protections
On December 21, 2020, Congress passed a $900 billion stimulus package. If signed into law, the second stimulus bill would extend some of the federal protections specifically created during the pandemic for workers and those who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, while reducing some of the earlier protections. The Families First Coronavirus Response…