Every new year brings significant changes to New York’s labor and employment laws that employers must be aware of to protect themselves from potential exposure from Department of Labor audits, private lawsuits and other employment-related problems. Minimum Wage Increases New York State has increased the minimum wage each year for the past 4 years. For…

Are you ready for “gotcha” claims? That’s where someone deliberately goes looking for companies to sue for violating a law. For example, a client recently received a letter from an attorney claiming that they had violated the Fair Chance Act of New York City (“FCA”) and seeking $3,000 in fines, penalties and legal fees. Under…

The “Me Too” movement has sparked discussions about how people treat each other in the workplace. While the “Me Too” movement primarily relates to sexual harassment in the workplace, employers must also be cognizant of the growing issue of violence/bullying that not only exists in workplace settings, but is as frequent and consequential as sexual…

The new year brings new changes to employment laws enacted by the legislatures in New York State, New York City and Long Island. The more employers know about their obligations, the less risk of liability they face. The following is a summary of the new rules: New York State Paid Leave Changes This law went…

Earlier this year, New York passed a law requiring all employers to provide annual sexual harassment prevention training to employees as well as comply with other requirements. Although the Department of Labor published guidance for employers on what the training must include, there is still confusion about several key points: Training deadline. The training deadline…