Yesterday, Governor Cuomo signed the HERO Act, which, among other things, will require employers to comply with standards issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) to prevent airborne infectious diseases in the workplace. Governor Cuomo has reportedly reached an agreement with the Legislature to make certain technical changes to the bill, including giving the DOL and employers more specific instructions for developing and implementing the workplace standards and a clear timeline.
Read MoreLast week, the New York State Legislature passed legislation focused on health and safety in the workplace. Specifically, the bill requires that the Commissioner of Labor and Department of Health create an airborne infectious disease standard for all private employers which must be disseminated to all employees. The law also permits employees to create joint employer-employee workplace safety committees to raise health and safety issues and evaluate the health and safety protocols of the workplace.
Read MoreAs we discussed in our client alert, on March 11th, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”), which, among other things, requires an individual’s former employer or the insurance company (depending on the type of plan) to cover the full cost of COBRA premiums for any period of coverage between April 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021 (the “COBRA Subsidy”) for an eligible employee (generally, someone who was involuntarily separated or who had a reduction in hours). The employer or insurance company that pays these premiums may claim a tax credit to defray the cost of the premiums. ARPA also creates a Special Election Period where all individuals who lost group health insurance coverage within the past 18 months due to an involuntary separation or reduction in hours are required to receive notice of the COBRA Subsidy and their ability to elect COBRA by May 31, 2021. On April 7, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued the model notices as well as Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) related to ARPA and COBRA.
Read MoreAs we alerted you in our recent advisory, New York now requires employers to provide employees paid time off to get COVID vaccines. In recent guidance, the New York Department of Labor clarified some of the details around this new requirement.
Read MoreOn March 11th, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”). Employers should take note of two ARPA provisions in particular: (1) Mandatory COBRA premium subsidies and (2) the expansion and voluntary extension of FFCRA leave.
Read MoreIn addition to navigating compliance with the technical requirements of the federal and New York State Fair Credit Reporting Acts, New York City employers have long wrestled with state and city laws regulating the extent to which they can inquire about and consider the criminal history of their employees and job applicants. New York City recently enacted amendments to the NYC Fair Chance Act that will further restrict employers’ ability to consider the criminal history of applicants and employees when making employment decisions. This alert summarizes these new requirements, which will go into effect this summer.
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