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Category Archives: Employment Representation

Feeling the Effects of the COVID-19 Vaccine? NYS Paid Sick Leave May Be Used

On May 27, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that state Department of Labor forthcoming guidance will direct employers to permit the use of NYS Paid Sick Leave for any necessary recovery period from the COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, New Yorkers experiencing side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine can use NYS paid sick…

Are you a Tipped Worker? Be Aware of Upcoming Changes to Tip Rules

Tip credits allow employers to combine hourly wages and tips to pay employees the federal minimum wage, so long as minimum cash payment requirements are also met (which must be at least $2.13 per hour). An employer will “credit” some of the tips back to the employee on their paycheck. Employers must fully distribute tips…

New York Establishes Historic Excluded Workers Fund

The 2022 New York State Budget created a $2.1 billion program for workers who have lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic, but are ineligible for Unemployment Insurance, federal stimulus payments, or other federal COVID-related benefits due to their immigration status. Immigrant communities have been disproportionately burdened by the pandemic in terms of their health and…

Challenging Boston’s Discriminatory Police Promotion Tests

Levy Ratner’s Rebekah Cook-Mack are proud to represent the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers in an Amicus Brief with the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Smith v. City of Boston, which challenges Boston’s use of a discriminatory promotional test to select Police Lieutenants. Levy Ratner stands with the Black and Latino police officers who…

New York Employees Can Take Paid Leave to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

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…

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…

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…