News & Commentary

Election Day is quickly approaching, and many voters are having to make special considerations this year regarding how and when to cast their ballot. Employees working in New York may find some relief from the state’s newly amended Election Law, which grants some employees the right to paid time off to go vote. The amended…

On September 30, 2020, the New York State Sick Leave Law went into effect, requiring qualifying employees to accrue sick leave that can be used starting January 1, 2021. The sick leave will be available to use for absences related to an employee’s illness or medical needs or a covered family member’s illness or medical…

On September 11, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (DOL) announced changes to its rules concerning the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the law that provides paid sick leave and expands family and medical leave for individuals impacted by COVID-19. The DOL changes came in response to a decision of…

On September 1, 2020, the Trump administration’s executive order providing the option to defer payroll taxes went into effect. This order gave employers the option to defer payroll taxes for employees who earn less than $4,000 per every two weeks or less than $104,000 per year, for the remainder of the year. Under this program,…

Our March 24, 2020, What You Need to Know Now examined the federal law requiring all group health plans to cover the full cost of COVID-19 testing free of charge and without any employee cost-sharing, including deductibles, copayments or coinsurance. In addition, the health plan cannot require prior authorization or impose other medical management requirements. This…

As the necessity for teleworking continues due to COVID-19, employers and employees are still grappling with the changes brought about by a significant increase in teleworking. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recently published guidance regarding timekeeping while teleworking.  While acknowledging employers’ legal obligations for recordkeeping and reporting, the DOL also places…

FEMA recently approved New York State’s application for the Lost Wages Assistance Program, enabling the state to pay an additional $300 per week on top of ongoing unemployment benefits, for qualified individuals. The $300 supplemental assistance replaces the $600 per week that many unemployed New Yorkers received under the CARES Act, until the supplement expired…

On August 2, 2020, a Manhattan federal judge ruled in favor of the State of New York by striking down the Trump administration’s standard for determining which employees are eligible for relief under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (“Act”). The Department of Labor’s interpretation of the Act created excessive loopholes allowing employers to deny…

If you received the maximum 26 weeks of regular unemployment insurance, you may be eligible for two other programs to extend your unemployment benefits for a total of up to 59 weeks.  Those who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance, but are receiving benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, are not eligible…

In earlier LR What You Need to Know Now postings here and here, we discussed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Under this Act, eligible employees of covered employers have access to extended sick leave and family and medical leave benefits if they are personally affected or need to take care of a family member…