Business Owners, Do You Know How Many Employees Trigger Coverage Under New York’s Employment Laws?

In our previous posts, we discussed which major federal and New Jersey employment laws are triggered based upon the number of employees a business has. This post outlines which New York employment laws are triggered as a business grows and hires more employees. To complicate matters, many employers in the New York City metropolitan area have employees working in both New York and New Jersey, so need to comply with the laws of all three jurisdictions, plus potentially New York City’s laws.

Business Owners, Do You Know How Many Employees Trigger Coverage Under New Jersey’s Employment Laws?

In our previous post, we discussed which major federal employment laws are triggered based upon the number of employees a business has. This post outlines which New Jersey employment laws are triggered as a business grows and hires more employees.

New York Extends Statute of Limitations for Discrimination Claims to Three Years

Effective February 15, 2024, the statute of limitations for unlawful discrimination under the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) becomes three years. Previously only claims for sexual harassment were subject to a three year statute of limitations under the NYSHRL, with all other claims of discrimination having a one year statute of limitations.

Employment LawMichael MoreaFebruary 13, 2024statute of limitations, NYSHRL, New York, discrimination, personal iiability

What Employers Need to Know About NYC’s Height and Weight Discrimination Protections

New York City has amended it Human Right Law to prohibit discrimination on the basis of height and weight. The law, which was signed by Mayor Eric Adams on May 26, 2023, will take effect on November 22, 2023.

Under the new law, it will be illegal for employers to:

New York Closes Out 2022 with a Slew of Employment Laws

New York finished out 2022 by enacting a number of laws that employers in the state must be aware of and comply with entering 2023. The new laws cover matters such as lactation breaks, employment discrimination, workplace posters, and job advertisements. We have highlighted the requirements and effective dates of the new laws below.

New Jersey Closes Most Businesses to the Public, Does Your Business Need to Close?

On March 21, 2020, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order No. 107, which required most businesses in New Jersey to close to the public. Unfortunately there seems to much confusion and incomplete news reporting regarding the scope of the order. Many people believe, and many news agencies have reported, that all non-essential business must close. That, however, is an incomplete description of the scope of the Executive Order. Rather than closing all business, the Governor’s Executive Order requires that “[t]he brick-and-mortar premises of all non-essential retail businesses must close to the public” and requires the adoption of work from home arrangements where practicable for all businesses.

Employment LawMichael MoreaMarch 25, 2020New Jersey, discrimination, coronavirus

Preparing Your Business for the Coronavirus

The ongoing outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) raises numerous potential issues for employers. These include legal issues ranging from an employer’s obligation to provide a safe workplace and employee leave rights to practical matters such as whether to restrict business travel and allowing employees to work remotely. As the situation continues to develop, employers should prepare in case COVID-19 impacts their workforces by:

New Jersey Bans Hairstyle Discrimination

As we previously posted, in September 2019, the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights issued guidance concerning race discrimination based upon hairstyles. On December 19, 2019, New Jersey essentially formalized that guidance with the enactment of the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act (CROWN Act), which amended the Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) to expressly include protections for natural hairstyles.

New Jersey Issues Guidance on Workplace Race Discrimination Based on Hairstyle

The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (NJDCR), recently issued guidance concerning discrimination based upon hairstyles. The guidance focuses in particular on hairstyles “closed associated with Black people” and explains that discrimination based upon hairstyles that are “inextricably entwined or closely associated with race” is unlawful under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD).

Employment LawMichael MoreaOctober 14, 2019discrimination, New Jersey, employment policies, hairstyles, grooming

New York Amends its Employment Discrimination and Harassment Laws Yet Again

After significantly expanding its sexual harassment laws last year, New York has again amended the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL). This new legislation builds upon last year’s sexual harassment reforms and drastically changes the law of workplace harassment and discrimination in New York.

Key takeaways for employers in New York are:

Employment LawMichael MoreaSeptember 4, 2019New York, discrimination, har, compliance

Employee Handbooks Continue to be Important in Protecting a Business -- Is Your's Updated?

In one of our original posts, which is reprinted below, we discussed the importance of an employee handbook in protecting a business. As readers of this blog are aware, employment laws are constantly changing and implementing and updating, as necessary, a business’s employee handbook helps ensure compliance the law and reduces the risk of liability. Given the recent changes to employment laws, the importance of a handbook in protecting a business cannot be overstated and the five reasons listed below remain as applicable, if not more so, as they did in the past.

Protect Your Business - Five Reasons Every Employer Should Have a Handbook

Most employers understand that they should implement an employee handbook containing written employment and human resources policies. Unfortunately, many small and medium sized businesses delay implementing a handbook either due to mistaken concerns of cost, a sense that implementation of a handbook can be delayed, or a feeling that one is unnecessary because their workplace is very congenial. Such employers are missing out on very valuable advantages that handbooks create in the workplace. Five of these are outlined below.

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