LEL Blog

NYS Lifts COVID Restrictions But OSHA Standards Must Still Be Met

June 23, 2021COVID-19, HR Policies, New York City Employers, New York Employers

By Alexandra Lapes and Tracey I. Levy As of June 15, 2021 New York State has lifted its general health guidance and New York Forward industry specific guidelines – including social gathering limits, capacity restrictions, social distan... Read More..

All NY Employers Need to Develop Safety Plans Under HERO Act

June 15, 2021Employer Notice Requirements, HR Policies, New York Employers

By Tracey I. Levy and Alexandra Lapes Note Important Update below. Responding to the perceived lack of sufficient worker protections issued by OSHA and frustration with the lack of federal leadership in the prior presidential admini... Read More..

The Courts Have Awoken: Takeaways Spring 2021

June 3, 2021Connecticut Employers, COVID-19, Employee Relations, Employer Notice Requirements, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, New Jersey Employers, New York City Employers, New York Employers, Paid Leave Time, Tri-State Employers, Wage and Hour Laws

After a dearth of notable caselaw over the course of the pandemic, this past quarter brought five significant decisions across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut -- addressing the parameters of employer obligations to medical marijuana users, th... Read More..

Cannabis Protections – NY and NJ Take Different Approaches on Employer Obligations

April 29, 2021HR Policies, New Jersey Employers, New York City Employers, New York Employers

By Alexandra Lapes, Esq. On March 31, 2021, New York State joined the rising number of states to fully legalize cannabis for adult users by passing the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (“MRTA”). Enacted just a month after New Jersey's can... Read More..

Reconciling 2021’s Expanded NYS and FFCRA COVID-Related Leave Obligations

April 11, 2021COVID-19, New York Employers, Paid Leave Time

By Tracey I. Levy

The continuation of the payroll tax credits under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) through September 30, 2021, with an increased range of qualifying purposes, together with new guidance from the Ne... Read More..

ARPA Offers Financial Relief for Employers Facing NYS’s Latest COVID-19 Vaccine/Sick Leave Mandates

March 17, 2021COVID-19, HR Policies, New York City Employers, New York Employers, Paid Leave Time, Tri-State Employers

By Tracey I. Levy New York State employers face yet another payroll cost challenge as the state has now mandated, as of March 12, 2021, that employees be granted up to four hours of paid leave (separate from all existing paid time off benefits)... Read More..

NJ Employers Need Special Expert’s Sign-Off Before Disciplining Based on a Positive Test for Cannabis

March 15, 2021Employee Relations, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, New Jersey Employers

By Alexandra Lapes On February 22, 2021, after nearly three years of deliberation, New Jersey became the 15^th state to fully legalize cannabis for recreational and medical use. That legalization process includes new employment law p... Read More..

NYC Upends Employment at Will – Revolutionary Change in the Fundamentals of US Employment Law

November 28, 2021Employee Relations, Employer Notice Requirements, New York City Employers, Wage and Hour Laws

By Tracey I. Levy Employment "at will" -- the ability to fire an individual for any reason or no reason at all and the individual's right to quit at any time -- has been the bedrock principle of the employment relationship in the United States ... Read More..

Employers Keep Getting Pounded: TAKEAWAYS for Winter 2020/21

February 12, 2021Connecticut Employers, COVID-19, HR Policies, New Jersey Employers, New York City Employers, New York Employers

We invite New York, New Jersey and Connecticut employers to view the latest issue of Takeaways, our quarterly newsletter covering the most recent employment law changes. For ... Read More..