Category Archive for : ‘Blog’

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

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

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

In a landmark ruling this week, the U.S. Supreme Court (USSC) decided that sex discrimination now includes LGBT discrimination. This ruling means that employers can no longer discriminate against LGBT workers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Before this ruling, sex discrimination in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 only prevented discrimination on the basis of biological sex. 21 states, including New York, already had their own laws preventing LGBT discrimination. However, this USSC

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, gender inequality has spiked. Data shows that the majority of unemployment applicants in states such as New York, in mid-to-late March were women, accounting for 55% of the increase in job losses in the US. As a result, this growth has threatened to reverse years of progress towards gender equality. Experts fear the possibility of returning to a society where women are staying at home, while men go to work.  As the virus

Allegations of racism in the workplace are spreading at Bon Appetit, a popular food magazine. Editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport resigned this week after an old photo of him and his wife circulated on social media. In the photo, both he and his wife dressed as Puerto Ricans for Halloween. Rapoport wrote “I am stepping down as editor in chief of Bon Appetit to reflect on the work that I need to do as a human being and to allow Bon Appetit

New Yorkers who have participated in the NYC protests following the Minneapolis police’s killing of George Floyd may be concerned that their employers could fire or retaliate against them for demonstrating. Although there have been incidents of looting and violence, the NYC protests have been largely peaceful and have taken place in all five of the city’s boroughs over the past 11 days.  Considering that the NYPD has arrested countless protestors on charges such as disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and