WSNYC Blog: The Latest in Employment Law

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has held national attention ever since the Coronavirus outbreak hit the United States. However, in addition to issuing guidelines on how to stop the spread of Coronavirus, the CDC is now making headlines for another reason: racial discrimination in the workplace. Over one thousand CDC employees recently signed a letter telling their employer to address “ongoing and recurring acts of racism and discrimination” towards black workers. Signatories include at least one Division Head and

Only about 56% of eligible U.S. citizens voted in the 2016 presidential election. In an effort to increase voter turnout, some states have enacted laws to guarantee workers time off to vote. New York State’s voting leave law allows registered voters who do not have sufficient time outside of scheduled work hours to take up to 2 hours of paid time off to vote in most public elections. Employees are deemed to have “sufficient time to vote” if

On April 1, 2020, the United States government passed new legislation in response
to the novel Coronavirus outbreak. This new law titled, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), requires certain employers to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for reasons related to COVID-19. The new federal law, which applies to New York, covers only certain employers, both in public and private sectors, that have fewer than 500 employees. Individuals that are employed by the federal government are

Pregnant women around the world are asking, “What are my employment rights during a pandemic?” Pregnant women’s immune systems are already under an overwhelming amount of stress, and little is known about the impacts of Covid-19 on pregnant women or their unborn children. To alleviate some risk, many doctors advise pregnant women to try to work from home. So, is an employer legally required to give a pregnant woman accommodations in the workplace? The short answer is yes, but you

In New York City, offices are welcoming employees back after months of working remotely. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that older adults and people with underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. As these vulnerable populations return to work, employers should continue to comply with anti-discrimination laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

What does the law say about reasonable accommodations?

Under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), employers must make

In the midst of national protests for racial justice, many major companies have publicly shown their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. One of these companies is Starbucks, a major coffee retailer. In the first week of June, Starbucks tweeted several times, committing to being a part of the change and partner with different organizations that fight bias and racism. However, the company explicitly stated to its employees that Black Lives Matter attire was prohibited from being worn in

Image: Associated Press

Kim Yong-hee, a 60-year-old former Samsung employee, spent 355 days on top of a traffic-camera tower protesting the tech giant. Mr. Kim climbed to the top of the 82-foot tower with the help of his supporters on June 10, 2019. Supporters used a rope to send up food and books, while his wife collected his waste once a week. He held up placards denouncing Samsung and shared past grievances through a megaphone. Despite the harsh conditions

Due to the coronavirus, many companies had massive layoffs and closures. Employees are asking, “How much notice am I supposed to get before I’m laid off?” or “As an employee, how much notice am I supposed to get about business closures?”

WARN Act

In 1989, a national law was passed that required employers to give 60 days notice to employees before massive layoffs, closures, and relocations if the company consisted of at least 100 employees. New York State expanded on this

Social media has served as a prominent tool for people to freely express their social and political opinions since the beginning of its time. Recently, more individuals are using their social media platforms to spread information and share their opinions on important political and social issues. Nevertheless, over the past few years, many have lost their jobs due to the content of their social media posts. For example, earlier this month, an employee who works for B&H was removed from

Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

George Floyd’s death unleashed nation-wide outrage over the disproportionate number of Black men and women killed by the police each year. As some protests were met with physical responses from police officers, some people are questioning why the police still allow such displays of excessive force. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, 1 of the 4 officers involved in Mr. Floyd’s death, received over 17 civilian complaints against him. Some of the complaints included the use