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On Monday, June 15, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-to-3 vote that existing federal law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or transgender status. This decision, Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, establishes discrimination protections for LGBTQ workers across the country, instituting new protections for…
Author Archives: Levy Ratner
New NYS Workers’ Compensation Guide for COVID-19 Exposure on the Job
With businesses in various phases of re-opening across New York State, workers returning to job sites may wonder if those who contract COVID-19 at work are eligible for Workers’ Compensation benefits. New York’s Workers’ Compensation Board issued new guidance for workers that explains what individuals should do if they believe they contracted COVID-19 on the job, and…
Advancing Equity for Black People Once and For All
For nearly 50 years,Levy Ratner has fought racial inequality.We do not plan to stop now. In fact, we will continue to be vocal about dignity and equality for Black people. At Levy Ratner, we as individuals—and we as a firm—are committed to ending racism today and always. We stand in solidarity with those who seek…
Eligibility Requirements for $600 Unemployment Assistance from FPUA
In earlier LR What You Need to Know Now updates here and here, we discussed Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (FPUA), which is the $600 per week extra payment to workers receiving regular unemployment or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. The $600 benefit will be paid until July 31, 2020, unless the date is extended by…
Governor Cuomo’s Initiatives for Essential Workers’ Mental Health
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced new measures to address a mental health crisis among frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state is partnering with Crisis Text Line, a non-profit providing text message-based mental health support, and the Kate Spade New York Foundation, which provides funding to organizations advocating for mental wellness….
Levy Ratner Files Amicus Brief for SEIU, 1199SEIU in NY COVID-19 Case
Levy Ratner filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the Service Employees International Union and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East supporting the New York State Attorney General’s lawsuit challenging the Trump Department of Labor’s regulations interpreting the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The amicus brief supports the NYS Attorney General’s argument that the federal…
Employees Have More Time to Take Action Regarding Health Coverage
The IRS and Department of Labor have issued new regulations, effective May 4, 2020, giving employees more time to make choices concerning their health coverage. The goal is to minimize the chance that workers lose coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, by failing to meet existing deadlines under health plans. The regulations provide that certain time…
DOL Clarifies COVID-19 Unemployment Assistance Eligibility
In earlier LR What You Need to Know Now postings here and here, we discussed the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program under the federal CARES Act. PUA provides unemployment benefits to gig workers, independent contractors, self-employed individuals and workers who have run out of regular unemployment benefits, if they can’t work because of COVID-19 related reasons listed here. On April…
Congress Bans Surprise Billing for COVID-19 Care
Maybe it’s happened to you. Before you make an appointment or visit the emergency room, you check to make sure that the doctor or hospital is in-network under your health plan. Weeks later, an out-of-network doctor involved in your care bills you for the difference between the in-network rate your plan paid and the provider’s usual charge. …
Important Considerations for Returning to Work as States Reopen
Governor Cuomo announced a timeline for reopening New York state, which may include allowing “low-risk” upstate businesses to open as early as May 15th. Meanwhile, states like Georgia, Colorado, and Minnesota, have already pushed ahead with reopening businesses such as restaurants and barbershops amid a patchwork of rules about what businesses were allowed to reopen….