ATTENTION NJ EMPLOYERS: IT’S TIME TO GET INTO THE WEEDS NEW JERSEY ENACTS NEW EMPLOYMENT PROTECTIONS FOR ADULT CANNABIS USERS
In November 2020, New Jersey voters approved the legalization of adult recreational cannabis use. On February 22, 2021, after months of negotiations between the Governor’s Office and the State Legislature and within minutes of a state deadline, Governor Murphy signed a trio of bills establishing the legal and regulatory framework for recreational cannabis. Among the […]
ATTENTION NEW YORK EMPLOYERS: New York State DOL Releases Updated Guidance on COVID-19 Sick Leave
The New York State Department of Labor recently updated its previously published COVID-related guidance to address how New York State employers should handle certain related COVID-19 sick leave issues. This supplemented guidance, issued on January 20, 2021 and available HERE, boils down to four key takeaways: 1. An employee does not have to be tested […]
ATTENTION EMPLOYERS: IT’S TIME TO REVISIT YOUR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
While states have been busy passing their own independent contractor misclassification laws, on January 7, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published its final rule adopting a streamlined “economic reality” test to determine a worker’s status as an employee or an independent contractor for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The new […]
ATTN Employers: The New Year Brings New Wage and Benefit Entitlements for Employees
Notwithstanding the impact of the current pandemic on the economy and, in particular, on businesses in New York and New Jersey, previously scheduled annual wage and benefit increases march on. In the past week, minimum wage rates rose in both New York and New Jersey. In addition, New Jersey employees will see increased maximum benefit […]
ATTN EMPLOYERS: Federal Stimulus Package Extends PPP, Unemployment and FFCRA Tax Credits
ATTENTION: ALL EMPLOYERS Federal Stimulus Package Extends PPP, Unemployment and FFCRA Tax Credits On December 27, 2020, about one week after Congress approved the new legislation, the President signed into law the long-awaited coronavirus relief and spending package. For employers, critical provisions of the new law include extensions of the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”); federal […]
ATTENTION: ALL EMPLOYERS – CAN EMPLOYERS REQUIRE ITS EMPLOYEES TO GET A COVID-19 VACCINE? Yes, says the EEOC (with important exceptions)
ATTENTION: ALL EMPLOYERS CAN EMPLOYERS REQUIRE ITS EMPLOYEES TO GET A COVID-19 VACCINE? Yes, says the EEOC (with important exceptions) On the heels of the first COVID-19 vaccines’ approval by the Federal and Drug Administration, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its previously published COVID-related guidance to address how employers should handle related […]
ATTENTION EMPLOYERS: NEW FAQS ISSUED ON NEW YORK STATE PAID SICK LEAVE
On September 30, 2020, employees began accruing leave under New York State’s new Paid Sick Leave law (“PSL”) which may be taken for covered uses starting on January 1, 2021. As we alerted you in prior communications, the PSL left some ambiguity in how it would be applied. [CLICK for our April 3 and September […]
DESPITE COVID-19, EMPLOYMENT LAW TRAININGS STILL REQUIRED IN NY/CA; NJ LEGISLATURE CONSIDERING MANDATORY TRAINING
Although much of the workforce may be remote during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, neither New York State, New York City, nor California has postponed their mandatory anti-harassment training deadlines. Similarly, in New Jersey, courts continue to consider an employer’s anti-harassment training in evaluating the strength of an important affirmative defense in hostile environment cases. In […]
ATTENTION NEW JERSEY EMPLOYERS: GOVERNOR MURPHY SIGNS NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRING HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR ALL NEW JERSEY WORKPLACES
Yesterday, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order (EO) No. 192, which provides mandatory health and safety standards to protect all of New Jersey’s workers during the pandemic. A copy of the EO can be found HERE and the related Press Release can be found HERE. This EO, which is effective on 11/5/20 at 6:00am, establishes workplace […]
ATTENTION NYC EMPLOYERS: Amendments to NYC Earned Safe/ Sick Leave Law in Effect
As we highlighted earlier this week, Governor Cuomo has enacted a statewide sick leave law allowing most New York employees to accrue up to 40 or 56 hours of annual paid sick leave, depending on the size of their employers. [CLICK HERE TO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 30 EMPLOYMENT LAW ALERT]. As anticipated, New York City has […]