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On April 28, 2022, the New York City Council voted to push implementation of the city’s new pay transparency law to November 1, 2022, along with various amendments. The pay transparency law was originally scheduled to take effect on May 15, 2022. The pay transparency law was overwhelmingly passed in December 2021 and makes it…
Category Archives: News & Commentary
New Laws in New York State Strengthen Protections Against Workplace Harassment and Retaliation
On March 16, 2022, New York Governor Hochul signed two important laws to strengthen protections against workplace harassment and retaliation. S.5870 prohibits the release of personnel files as a retaliatory action against employees and S.812B establishes a toll-free confidential hotline for complaints of workplace sexual harassment Legislation S.812B requires the Division of Human Rights to…
Levy Ratner’s Allyson Belovin Appointed to Law360 Labor Editorial Board
Levy Ratner is proud to announce Allyson Belovin’s appointment to the editorial board for the labor section of Law360. As a member of the editorial board, Belovin will provide insights on issues and trends in labor law, as well as offer feedback on Law360 coverage.
Congress Ends Mandatory Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Claims
Both houses of the U.S. Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation that is now headed to President Biden’s desk to end forced arbitration of sexual assault and harassment claims. When signed, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 would amend the Federal Arbitration Act to essentially void and prohibit the enforcement…
What does New York State’s New Whistleblower Law Mean?
Effective January 22, 2022, New York State’s amended whistleblower law significantly expands section 740 of the New York Labor Law to provide greater protections to whistleblowers against employer retaliation. Under the recent amendments, employees include former employees and independent contractors. By including former employees, the new law protects employees against a former employer’s retaliatory actions…
Pamela Jeffrey Named Co-General Counsel of 1199SEIU
Levy Ratner is pleased to announce that the Executive Council of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East has voted that Levy Ratner Partner Pamela Jeffrey will be the new Co-General Counsel of 1199SEIU. Ms. Jeffrey will serve as Co-General Counsel with Levy Ratner Founding Partner Daniel Ratner during a period of transition. Ms. Jeffrey brings to…
New York City To Require Salary Transparency in Job Postings
On January 15, 2022, the New York City Council enacted an amendment to the New York City Human Rights Law which will require employers to list salary information in job postings. Employers who fail to include the minimum and maximum salary offered for any position located within New York City may be subject to penalties…
Is My Insurance Required to Pay for At-Home COVID-19 Tests?
Effective January 15, 2022, the Biden administration requires insurance companies and group health plans to cover the cost of up to 8 at-home COVID-19 test kits for each person covered by the insurance or plan. This means that a family of four covered by the plan can obtain up to 32 tests per month. The…
Can I take paid time off when my child gets vaccinated?
On December 24, 2021, an amendment to New York City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act providing for paid leave for employees during their child’s COVID-19 vaccination time went into effect. The amendment, approved by the New York City Council in November 2021, requires private employers covered by the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act…
What are my rights when my employer refuses to pay my overtime?
The first step is to review your rights under federal law. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers throughout the country to pay their employees one and one-half times their regular pay for all hours worked over 40 hours in a workweek. This does not have to coincide with a calendar week, it can…