Employment
HR Alert: Protecting Small Business Owners from Big Litigation Costs
Learning Objectives How to minimize potential exposure to your business in advance. How to address claims, efficiently and expeditiously, if they come to light. Where We Are As Small Businesses It’s not an exaggerati…
HR Alert: A Local Lesson on Gender Discrimination
A restaurant based in Tonawanda, NY recently agreed to pay $25,000 to settle a sex discrimination suit brought against it under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the New York State Human Rights Law. The owners, manager…
HR Alert: Teenaged Workers in New York
The New York Department of Labor (DOL) encourages businesses to pledge to support the rights of youth in their workplaces and to avoid and affirmatively report violations of the law that result in unsafe or unlawful condit…
HR Alert: Independent Contractor/Employee Final Rule Is Out!
On January 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced their final rule, Employee or Independent Contractor Classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act, to determine whether workers are employees or indepen…
HR Alert: EEOC Guidance on Workplace Harassment
This past autumn, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued its Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace. While it still isn’t final guidance, even the proposed content has be…
HR Alert: New Law Creates Requirements When Hiring Freelancers
New York Governor Hochul has once again signed new legislation that will have a huge effect on the way you run your business. This time, the new law focuses on the hiring of freelance workers to perform certain services fo…
HR Alert: Minimum Wage Changes
As New York’s been doing these past several years, the minimum wage changed effective January 1, 2024. Not surprisingly, the minimum wage increased, and it differs depending on where you are in the State. Minimum Wag…
HR Alert: New York Toughens Up Non-Disclosure Agreements in Discrimination Cases
On November 17, 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul signed NY State Senate Bill S4516 into law that greatly affects settlement agreements between employers and employees who choose to settle claims of discrimination, harassment, a…
HR Alert: NY Bans Inquiries into Social Media Accounts
Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed a new bill into law that prohibits employers from requesting, requiring, or coercing an employee or applicant to disclose information relating to their personal social media accounts. …
HR Alert: NY Extends Statute of Limitations for Discrimination Claims
Just when you thought you could close the book on a thorny issue involving an employee or ex-employee, New York State steps in and says: Not. So. Fast. On November 17, 2023. Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law an amendme…