The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a technical-assistance document, “Discrimination Against American Workers Is Against the Law,” emphasizing that Title VII protects American workers from national origin discrimination. While Title VII has long prohibited national origin discrimination broadly, including against Americans, this guidance is consistent with the stated priority of Andrea Lucas, Chair of the EEOC, to target Anti-American national origin bias and the steps the Trump administration has taken to increase the financial cost of procuring H-1B visas.
Read MoreAs the 2025 legislative session came to a close, the New York legislature passed Assembly Bill A584B/S4070B. The Bill entitled the “Trapped at Work Act” (the “Act”) was recently signed into law by the Governor and prohibits employers from requiring, as a condition of employment, reimbursement clauses or promissory notes that mandate repayment from employees who resign before a specified date.
Read MoreAs previously reported, amendments to the New York State Labor Relations Act (“NYSLRA”) in September expanded the law’s applicability to private sector employees who were previously explicitly excluded from the NYSLRA and have historically been subject to the federal National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) and the oversight of the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) rather than state law. In essence, the amendments sought to expand the jurisdiction of the NYS Public Employee Relations Board (“PERB”) to cover these private sector employees. The amendments immediately faced separate legal challenges from both the NLRB and Amazon. In the Amazon case, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (“EDNY”) has now granted a preliminary injunction enjoining PERB from enforcing the amendments.
Read MoreAs employers prepare to ring in 2026, they should be aware of upcoming increases to the minimum salaries that executive and administrative employees must be paid in order to maintain their exempt status under New York law. These increases, along with increases to the minimum wage, take effect on January 1, 2026.
Read MoreThe New York City Council has passed a bill which would significantly broaden the scope of the City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA). The bill, which was sent to the Mayor late last month, proposes to expand the qualifying reasons employees can use leave, grants additional unpaid leave entitlements, and clarifies collective bargaining agreement waivers.
Read MoreOn October 9, 2025, the New York City Council approved and sent two bills to the Mayor’s desk for signature aimed at addressing alleged pay disparities at large New York City employers.
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