Update: On April 28, 2022, the New York City Council passed a bill that, when signed into law, will push the effective date of New York City’s salary transparency law back from May 15, 2022 to November 1, 2022. Stay tuned for other updates to NYC’s salary transparency law, which may differ from the requirements … Read more

This post is part of a new series that specifically discusses employment law issues for startups and small businesses operating in New York State and New York City. Many businesses rely on independent contractors, instead of employees, for their staffing needs.  The reasons for doing so are obvious – among them, savings in labor costs.  … Read more

This post is part of a new series that specifically discusses employment law issues for startups and small businesses operating in New York State and New York City. Since 2017, New York State has required all employers of commissioned salespersons to prepare a “writing” which contains, at a minimum, the following terms: A description of … Read more

New York’s existing whistleblower protection law, which allows employees to sue their employers for whistleblower retaliation, has been significantly expanded.  Changes go into effect on January 26, 2022. The existing law protects employees who disclose, or threaten to disclose, to an employer or to public body “an activity, policy or practice of the employer that … Read more

Beginning December 27, 2021, private employers in New York City must require all workers who perform in-person work or who interact with the public to show proof that they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.  Workers will then have 45 days to show proof of their second dose (for Pfizer or … Read more

This post is part of a new series that specifically discusses employment law issues for startups and small businesses operating in New York State and New York City. When it comes to payroll records, both federal and New York State law are very specific about what information New York employers must maintain and for how … Read more

I recently viewed a continuing legal education program titled “Domestic Violence: A Primer on Accommodations and Discrimination in the Workplace” (presented by the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence, Civil Rights and Social Justice Section and ABACLE) and was struck by how little this issue has presented itself in my practice.  Domestic … Read more

Yesterday, on September 6, 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the New York State Department of Health’s designation of COVID-19 as an airborne infectious disease.  This designation triggers employer obligations to implement workplace safety plans under New York State’s HERO Act. The plans adopted by employers must address a number of safety measures including, … Read more

This post is part of a new series that specifically discusses employment law issues for startups and small businesses operating in New York State and New York City. Not every employee should receive an employment contract.  As a general rule, employment contracts are reserved for executives and other key leadership employees who are vital to … Read more

In a prior post, we discussed the Hero Act, which requires all employers in New York State to adopt a prevention plan to protect against further spread of COVID-19 and other airborne infectious diseases in the workplace.  On July 6, 2021, the New York Department of Labor published a general airborne infectious disease exposure prevention … Read more