Federal COVID-19 Leave Law Ended but NYS and NJ Laws Mandate COVID-19 Leave

As of January 1, 2021, employers are no longer required by federal law to provide paid sick leave to employees for reasons related to COVID-19. The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which mandated such leaves, expired as of December 31, 2020, and was not extended. The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA 2021), enacted […]

End of 2020 Reminders for NYS and NJ Employers

As this unusual year nears its end, New York (NYS) and New Jersey (NJ) employers must be mindful of several changes to employment laws that will go into effect as of 2021. New York Paid Family Leave (PFL): Starting on January 1, 2021, the amount of paid family leave available to eligible employees under NYS […]

NYS Paid Sick Leave Law FAQs Published

On October 20, 2020, the NYS Department of Labor (“DOL”) released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) concerning the NYS Sick Leave Law (“NYSSL”) that went into effect on September 30, 2020. The FAQs are a helpful first step in allowing employers and employees to navigate and understand the NYSSL, but leaves some questions unanswered. Here are […]

Amended NYC Earned Safe and Sick Leave Act Effective September 30, 2020

The New York City Earned Sick and Safe Time Act (ESSTA) was amended by Senate Bill S7506B.  Some of the amendments essentially mirror the new New York State Sick Leave law (NYSSL).  The amendments were signed into law on September 28, 2020 and took effect on September 30, 2020, the same day the NYSSL went […]

New York State’s Paid Sick Leave Law Effective September 30, 2020

New York State’s new sick leave law (NYSSLL) goes into effect tomorrow, September 30, 2020.  Employers must allow employees to start accruing sick leave tomorrow or must advance the total required amount of sick leave as of January 1, 2021.  Employees may begin to use sick leave under the new law as of January 1, […]

Additional EEOC Guidance on COVID-19’s Impact on Workplace Discrimination Laws

On September 8, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its technical assistance document, which includes Q&As on COVID-19 and its impact on federal discrimination laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).  The EEOC added 18 Q&As in this document by incorporating information sourced from the EEOC’s Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace […]

DOL Revises its FFCRA Regulations After Court Ruling

Last month, a New York federal court (the “Court”) struck down parts of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) regulations (“Rule”) on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”).  In response, the DOL revised portions of its Rule on September 11, 2020.  The DOL stated in its updated FAQs (#102) that it considers the Court’s […]

NYS Federal District Court Invalidates DOL’s New Joint Employment Standard

On September 8, 2020, a New York federal district judge ruled that the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) newly created standard for joint employer liability was illegal. At the beginning of this year, the DOL issued a new rule (“Final Rule”) for determining joint employment, which eventually became effective March 16, 2020.  The Final Rule […]