Harassment/Discrimination

The Courts Have Awoken: Takeaways Spring 2021

June 3, 2021Connecticut Employers, COVID-19, Employee Relations, Employer Notice Requirements, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, New Jersey Employers, New York City Employers, New York Employers, Paid Leave Time, Tri-State Employers, Wage and Hour Laws

After a dearth of notable caselaw over the course of the pandemic, this past quarter brought five significant decisions across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut -- addressing the parameters of employer obligations to medical marijuana users, th... Read More..

NJ Employers Need Special Expert’s Sign-Off Before Disciplining Based on a Positive Test for Cannabis

March 15, 2021Employee Relations, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, New Jersey Employers

By Alexandra Lapes On February 22, 2021, after nearly three years of deliberation, New Jersey became the 15^th state to fully legalize cannabis for recreational and medical use. That legalization process includes new employment law p... Read More..

Three Key Employment Items to Address Before the New Year

January 27, 2021Connecticut Employers, Employer Notice Requirements, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, New Jersey Employers, New York City Employers, New York Employers, Paid Leave Time, Sick and Safe Leave, Tri-State Employers, Wage and Hour Laws, Workplace Training

By Tracey I. Levy and Alexandra Lapes As the new year quickly approaches, employers should aim to update their policies and practices to stay legally compliant and prepare their workforce for the new year. In particular, employers in New York... Read More..

Managing Workplace Epidemics: Coronavirus Concerns in Westchester County and New York City

December 31, 2020COVID-19, Employee Relations, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, Paid Leave Time, Wage and Hour Laws

By Tracey I. Levy, Esq. and Alexandra Lapes, Esq. As the global Coronavirus situation is expanding rapidly and hitting close to home, Westchester County and New York City employers should review their communicable disease plans and implement pr... Read More..

New York State Amends Other HRL Discrimination Protections – Broad Protections Expanded Well Beyond Sexual Harassment

December 31, 2020Employee Relations, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, Others, Workplace Training

By Tracey I. Levy, Esq. and Alexandra Lapes, Esq. Just over a year after New York enacted sweeping protections against sexual harassment, Governor Cuomo today signed into law further amendments to the New York State Human Rights Law to provide ... Read More..

Moving Forward After #MeToo – Consider Your Policies

July 9, 2018Employee Relations, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, Others

Recent changes to New York State law regarding prevention of sexual harassment will require employers to revisit existing policies to comply with newly-mandated provisions, as summarized in our lead story from Takeaways, Read More..

What’s Different About New York’s Harassment Prevention Training Mandate

December 31, 2020Employee Relations, Harassment/Discrimination, Others, Workplace Training

Beginning this fall, employers in New York State will be required to provide interactive harassment prevention training to employees. This is not a new concept – such training has been mandated for years in California, Connecticut and Maine – but... Read More..

What is it with Pregnancy?

February 6, 2017Employee Relations, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, Others

Pregnant employees, as a protected class, are having their moment in the sun. The United States Supreme Court just held in Young v. United Parcel Service, Inc. that pregnant employees may be legally entitled to accommodation of their pre... Read More..

When Power Should Go to a Manager’s Head (or at least stay top of mind)

February 6, 2017Employee Relations, Harassment/Discrimination, Others

It may seem obvious, but all too often managers seem to forget that power disparities in the workplace can turn otherwise innocuous encounters into fodder for a sexual harassment claim. That is how Steelcase, a Michigan-based workplace furnishing... Read More..