Workplace Training

DEI or IED? Will Renaming Save Diversity Initiatives?

March 13, 2024Federal Employment Developments, HR Policies, Workplace Training

How important is a name? It is a question driven to the forefront by the recent backlash against “DEI” – diversity, equity and inclusion programs that many employers put in place to diversify their workforces. After an explosion of such initiati... Read More..

We Need to Reframe Our Workplace Discussions of “Race”

December 19, 2023Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, Workplace Training

Whoopi Goldberg made headlines and ultimately apologized in 2022 over her strenuous assertion that the Holocaust was not about race. Over the past several months, I have heard anecdotal reports of Jewish employees, alarmed by rising rates of glob... Read More..

Workplace Investigations: Anticipate Cognitive Overload

September 7, 2023Employee Relations, Workplace Investigations, Workplace Training

Sometimes you just need to let things gel in your mind for a while. I came to this conclusion in my investigations... Read More..

New Fed Arbitration Ban Warrants Employers Redouble Measures to Prevent Workplace Harassment

February 9, 2023Connecticut Employers, Employee Relations, Employer Notice Requirements, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, New Jersey Employers, New York Employers, Workplace Training

By Tracey I. Levy In the aftermath of #MeToo, state legislatures across the country adopted a range of new employment law protections, typically focused around four objectives:

advising employees of their legal rights and obligatio... Read More..

3 Actions for NY Employers to Mitigate Risk Under Expansive New Whistleblower Law

December 8, 2021Employer Notice Requirements, HR Policies, New York Employers, Workplace Training

By Tracey I. Levy New York has adopted new whistleblower law protections effective January 26, 2022 that create substantial liability exposure for employers. Employees – both current and former, as well as individuals working as independent co... Read More..

The Lines Have Been Redrawn; “Build Back Better” with Respectful Workplaces in New York

August 19, 2021Employee Relations, Harassment/Discrimination, HR Policies, New York Employers, Workplace Training

By Tracey I. Levy Perhaps one of the most troubling quotes coming out of the investigation of sexual harassment allegations raised against Governor Andrew Cuomo was his statement, “In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn... 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..

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..

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..