New York Employers

30+ Reasons Why You Cannot Fire a NY Employee

June 25, 2025Employee Relations, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, Leaves and Accommodations, New York Employers, Paid Leave Time, Wage and Hour Laws

New York law strongly adheres to the principle of employment at will; except where it does not. Over the years, the government continuously adds new legal protections for employees, to such a degree that employers may not be aware of all the curre... Read More..

What Are “Stay or Pay” Provisions and Why Is the Government Challenging Them?

January 7, 2025Federal Employment Developments, HR Policies, New York Employers, Wage and Hour Laws

Tuition reimbursement programs and other support for formal employee training can be valuable workplace recruitment tools, but not all employees share the same level of gratitude to the employers that offer them. While some employees may choose t... Read More..

Texas Court Strikes Higher Base Salary for Overtime Exemption

November 18, 2024Federal Employment Developments, New York Employers, Wage and Hour Laws

Once again, a district court judge in Texas has issued a nationwide injunction blocking a federal regulatory change that presented significant implications for employers. Three months ago, it was the Federal Trade Commission’s regulations invalid... Read More..

Alert to NYS Employers: Extensive Paid Break Time Required Daily for Nursing Employees

June 20, 2024HR Policies, New York Employers, Paid Leave Time, Wage and Hour Laws

Employers face substantial additional payment obligations for employees who need to express breastmilk in the workplace under the terms of a model policy issued by the New York State Department of Labor (“DOL”) that implements recent amendments to... Read More..

Pay Protections for NYS Freelance Workers Take Effect May 20

May 10, 2024New York City Employers, New York Employers, Wage and Hour Laws

New York State’s new “Freelance Isn’t Free Act” (FIFA) takes effect on May 20, 2024, adding new legal protections for freelance workers to ensure they are timely paid. In most respects, this new law in New York State aligns with the version that ... Read More..

New York Increasingly Protects Those Convicted of Crimes to Enable Future Employment

April 4, 2024Employer Notice Requirements, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, New York City Employers, New York Employers

Do you conduct background checks on your employees? What do you check for and why? Do you have clearly defined criteria on what types of information gleaned from a background check will be disqualifying for a potential new hire? New York law,... Read More..

NYS Restricts Hush Money for Workplace Complaints of Harassment and Discrimination

March 28, 2024Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, New York Employers

Are our case studies too obvious? Are we now at a point where everyone understands that sexual harassment is not acceptable? Should our harassment prevention workshops be focused less on harassment and more on the subtleties of bullying behaviors?... Read More..

Rising Pay Thresholds May Impede Classifying NYS Employees as Overtime Exempt

February 29, 2024Federal Employment Developments, HR Policies, New York Employers, Wage and Hour Laws

With recent increases that took effect January 1, 2024, the minimum wage in New York is now $16 per hour in New York City and the immediately surrounding suburban counties, and $15 per hour in the rest of the state. Connecticut is at $15.69 and N... Read More..

Losing Out on Talent? Offensive Language in Your Offer Letter May Be the Problem

January 25, 2024Employee Relations, Employer Notice Requirements, Employment Agreements, New York Employers, Wage and Hour Laws

Half of job seekers in a recent Gartner, Inc. survey reported that they backed out on an accepted job offer prior to starting. I remain stunned by this statistic, which suggests to me that employers have some issues with their hiring processes, b... Read More..