On November 21, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which holds contractors responsible for complying with laws prohibiting harassment and discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, or veteran status, released a new guide to aid federal contractors and […]
On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, New York City councilmembers Shaun Abreu and Tiffany Cabán introduced a bill, Int. 1089-2024, that would guarantee paid time off to care for pets or service animals. If approved, the bill would take effect 120 days after it becomes law. If enacted, the legislation would make New York City one […]
On November 5, 2024, six states will put more than the next presidential nominee to a vote. Specifically, voters in Alaska, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Nebraska will decide whether to increase their States’ minimum wages and provide more paid sick days, or a combination of both. The various proposals that will appear on these […]
On Tuesday, September 24, 2024, U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres granted a motion to certify a group of emergency medical services (“EMS”) workers of the EMS Bureau of the Fire Department of the City of New York (“FDNY”) as a class in their lawsuit against the city alleging discriminatory pay practices, suppression of wages, and […]
On September 30, 2024, Maryland will implement a new extreme heat standard, which affords employees more workplace protections when the heat index exceeds 80, 90, and 100 degrees. When temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit, Maryland workers must be provided with at least 32 oz of water in an accessible area and shaded breaks. When temperatures […]
In a significant development, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has expanded the interpretation of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), ruling that employers can violate the law simply by discouraging employees from exercising their rights, even if the employee’s request for leave is ultimately granted. This ruling, outlined in the case Kemp v. […]
On August 13, 2024, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the largest federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Homeland Security, agreed to pay $45 million to a class of over 1,000 CBP Officers and Agricultural Specialists to settle their claims alleging sex and pregnancy discrimination in violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. […]
On August 8, 2024, acting Governor of New Jersey, Tahesha Way, signed a bill into law which goes into effect immediately, providing additional protections to New Jersey’s immigrant workers who expose or threaten to expose violations in the workplace. Specifically, employers who threaten to report or report a worker’s immigration status to a public […]
Employers who are made aware of sexual harassment in the workplace are required to take meaningful remedial action to address the situation. But what happens when an employer does take some response and the victim argues the employer’s response was not sufficient? As the case of Payne v. JetBlue Airways Corp., 2024 WL 3360381 (E.D.N.Y. […]
On July 29, 2024, laborers sued a carpet cleaning and mold remediation company in Georgia called Genesis Restoration Services, Inc. (“Genesis”) for paying flat, daily rates that did not provide proper compensation for overtime. According to the lawsuit, the named plaintiff was called a “manager” by Genesis but performed substantially the same job […]
On June 21, 2024, a federal magistrate judge in the Eastern District of New York recommended granting class certification to tax preparers alleging overtime violations and unlawful deductions, among other things. Specifically, the tax preparers sued two companies doing business as R & G Brenner Income Tax Centers (collectively, “R & G Brenner”), which operated […]
On June 19, 2024, an amendment to New York Labor Law § 206-c (A08806C) will take effect, entitling nursing mothers to “30 minutes of paid break time each time they reasonably need to express breast milk.” Specifically, the amendment to § 206-c states: An employer shall provide paid break time […]
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