NLRB Joint Employer Rule Vacated

As employers may recall, on October 27, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) published the long-awaited Final Rule (“New Rule”) concerning the joint-employer standard. The New Rule was supposed to take effect on December 26, 2023, but it was delayed more than once due to legal challenges. Most recently, the New Rule’s effective date was delayed to March 11, 2024; however, on March 8, 2024, a federal court judge in Texas vacated the New Rule. This means that for now, employers must continue to follow the joint employer rule issued in 2020. As a reminder, under that rule, a joint-employer relationship exists where a company exercises substantial direct and immediate control over the essential terms and conditions of another company’s employees.

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NY Minimum Wage & Salary Exemption Threshold to Increase in 2024

As employers may recall, earlier this month the New York Department of Labor (DOL) issued proposed regulations seeking to modify several industry-specific wage requirements including the salary threshold for exempt executive and administrative employees. Additionally, earlier in the year, New York enacted state budget legislation that would increase the statewide minimum wage each year through 2026. On December 27, 2023, the DOL published a Notice of Adoption in the New York State Register, which finalized the proposed increases to the minimum wage and the salary threshold for exempt employees and set their effective date to January 1, 2024.

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NYCCHR Issues FAQS on Ordinance Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Height & Weight

We previously reported that Mayor Eric Adams signed an ordinance that amended the New York City Human Rights Law (“NYCHRL”) to prohibit discrimination against individuals based on their actual or perceived height and weight. This ordinance took effect at the end of November. The NYC Commission on Human Rights (“NYCCHR”) is drafting rules related to this prohibition, which are expected to be released in the first quarter of 2024. In the interim, employers should look to the FAQS recently published by the NYCCHR concerning this ordinance.

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National Labor Relations Board Finalizes Joint-Employer Rule & Postpones Effective Date to February 26, 2024

As employers may recall, on September 6, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning the joint-employer standard under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). On October 27, 2023, the NLRB published the long awaited Final Rule concerning the joint-employer standard, which will take effect on February 26, 2024.

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Caroline SecolaNlrb, Labor
NYS Enacts Important Requirements & Restrictions for Nondisclosure and Separation Agreements

Since 2019, when settling a claim involving discrimination, New York employers have been required to follow a so-called “preference agreement process” to obtain a non-disclosure agreement preventing disclosure of the underlying facts and circumstances of the claim or action.  On Friday, Governor Hochul signed legislation revising this process and, importantly, creating serious penalties for employers who include certain provisions in their agreements which penalize employees who speak about harassment, discrimination, or retaliation.  This law takes effect immediately.

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