Laura Fant
Associate
As an associate in the Labor & Employment Law Department and co-chair of the Disability, Accommodations & Leave Management Practice Group, Laura Fant frequently counsels on employee leave and accommodation matters involving the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and related state and local laws. She also provides general employment counseling and has experience reviewing and updating employee handbooks and company policies, as well as providing training on topics such as discrimination and harassment in the workplace, social media, and the accommodation of physical and mental disabilities. Laura is a frequent contributor to Proskauer’s Law and the Workplace blog.
Before joining the Firm, Laura was assistant general counsel to the City of New York's Office of Labor Relations. Prior to that, she was law clerk to Judge Jose L. Fuentes of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, and a judicial intern to Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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*** New York State has issued additional guidance on the statewide Coronavirus leave law. More information about this guidance can be found on our blog post here. *** On March 18, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a statewide Coronavirus response bill that immediately provides employees with sick leave and job protection in … Continue Reading
*** IMPORTANT NOTE: On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed an amended version of the Family First Coronavirus Response Act into law that modifies some of the provisions discussed below. Read more on our updated blog post here. *** On March 14, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 6201, also known … Continue Reading
**Updated March 12, 2020** Declaration of Coronavirus Pandemic by the World Health Organization On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (also referred to as COVID-19, but more commonly known simply as the “Coronavirus”), which has spread to over 100 countries and territories. The WHO … Continue Reading
As employers are likely aware, cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (also referred to as COVID-19, but more commonly known simply as the “Coronavirus”) continue to spread. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to maintain that the risk to the general U.S. population presently remains low, the CDC is now … Continue Reading
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has unveiled a sweeping legislative proposal regarding harassment in the workplace, as well as in housing, public accommodations, and business relationships. The proposal would amend the NJ Law Against Discrimination (“NJLAD”) in numerous significant ways. The proposed legislation to a large extent mirrors that which has been introduced in several … Continue Reading
As the recent Coronavirus outbreak continues, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidance specifically for employers, outlining recommendations and best practices to protect their workplaces. As we previously addressed in detail in our prior blog on Coronavirus and the Workplace, employers may face a number of issues related to the Coronavirus … Continue Reading
*** Last Updated: March 13, 2020 *** News that cases of the newly-identified 2019 Novel Coronavirus (also referred to as COVID-19, 2019-nCoV, or SARS-CoV-2, but more commonly known simply as the “Coronavirus”) continue to spread has prompted employers to think about employee safety and ways to address prevention in the workplace, as well as planning … Continue Reading
UPDATE – on January 21, 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed the bill into law. It will take effect in 180 days (i.e., on July 19, 2020). The New Jersey Senate has passed a bill (S.3170) that would amend the New Jersey Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Loss Job Notification Act, more commonly referred to as the … Continue Reading
Effective January 11, 2020, the New York City Human Rights Law (“NYCHRL”) has been amended to expand protections under the law to freelancers and independent contractors. Significantly, this includes the requirement that certain contractors now complete annual sexual harassment prevention training in the same manner as covered employees. Contractors also are now eligible for reasonable … Continue Reading
**Update: The Department has adopted the regulations as of January 22, 2020. You can read more about the final adoption here.** The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (the “Department”) has published proposed regulations that would make significant changes to the state’s wage and hour laws. The proposed provisions, collectively termed the Colorado Overtime & … Continue Reading
Heeding the adage “no one knows what the future may hold,” the Seventh, Eighth and Eleventh Circuits have uniformly refused to extend protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to employees with a perceived risk of a potential impairment. In each case, an employer either declined to hire an applicant or terminated an employee … Continue Reading
As we previously reported, effective October 30, 2019, Westchester County, NY employers are required to provide paid leave to employees who are victims of domestic violence or human trafficking (“safe time”). Leave under the new ordinance will be in addition to paid time off already required to be provided to employees under the Westchester County … Continue Reading
As we previously reported, on August 12, 2019, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law significant legislation to expand workplace anti-discrimination protections. The State has now updated its FAQs to provide additional guidance on these new requirements. There are several key points now included in the guidance that provide some clarity on employers’ … Continue Reading
Another Election Day is just around the corner. And with nearly every state having at least one law addressing voting leave and/or other political-related activities, it can be easy to get tripped up in the details. In addition, some states, including New York, have recently updated their employee voting laws. The following is an overview … Continue Reading
The New York City Commission on Human Rights has issued new enforcement guidance on discrimination based on actual or perceived national origin or immigration status in employment, as well as in housing and public accommodations. While enforcement guidance does not have the same force of law as a statute or formal regulations, it provides significant … Continue Reading
The San Antonio, Texas City Council has approved revisions to the city’s sick and safe leave ordinance, which is now scheduled take effect on December 1, 2019. As we previously reported, in the face of legal challenges to the law, the City Council had agreed to delay the effective date of the ordinance (previously slated … Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division is proposing revisions to its model notice of rights, certification, and designation forms under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Employers may, but are not required to, utilize the model forms to satisfy their notice requirements under the law and to obtain necessary information … Continue Reading
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed into law amendments to the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) that expand protections for employees who are victims of domestic violence. The amendments will take effect on November 18, 2019. While the NYSHRL has long prohibited discrimination against victims of domestic violence, the amendments expressly state … Continue Reading
On August 12, 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law significant expansions to workplace anti-discrimination protections in New York State. As we previously reported in detail, the new legislation includes numerous measures regarding discrimination and harassment in all forms (not just sexual harassment) in the workplace. The signing of the bill triggers the countdown to … Continue Reading
In this episode of The Proskauer Brief, partner Evandro Gigante and associate Laura Fant discuss the recent New York law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of certain hairstyles. This law expands the definition of race under the New York State Human Rights Law to now expressly include “traits historically associated with race,” which include but are not limited to hair … Continue Reading
The push to eliminate inquiries into job applicants’ salary history continues, as New Jersey has enacted a statewide law that will restrict employers from obtaining and utilizing applicants’ salary history information during the hiring process. The new law, which will take effect on January 1, 2020, will make it an unlawful employment practice for any … Continue Reading
UPDATE: Governor Kate Brown signed the bill into law on August 9, 2019. Oregon is the latest state to enact a paid family and medical leave law. The law, which will cover all employers with one or more employees working in Oregon, establishes a state-managed insurance program with employers and employees paying into a paid … Continue Reading
Implementation of the City of San Antonio’s paid sick leave ordinance has been delayed pending a legal challenge, less than two weeks before the ordinance’s scheduled effective date of August 1, 2019. On July 15, 2019, the Texas Attorney General and about a dozen business groups filed suit against the City, alleging that the paid … Continue Reading
Toledo, Ohio is the latest jurisdiction (and the second city in Ohio) to enact a law that will prohibit employers from asking job applicants about salary history. The ordinance, which is scheduled to take effect on June 25, 2020, will apply to employers with fifteen or more employees in Toledo, and will prohibit such employers and their … Continue Reading
New York State Enacts Coronavirus Response Bill Including Paid Sick Time and Other Statutory Benefits
Family First Coronavirus Response Act: What Employers Need to Know
Coronavirus Concerns Grow As World Health Organization Declares Pandemic
By Harris Mufson, Evandro Gigante, Guy Brenner, Laura Fant, Nayirie K. Mehdikhani and Rachel Therese Gulotta on Posted in Coronavirus, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
Coronavirus Concerns Continue as CDC Issues Additional Travel Notices
New Jersey to Consider Mandatory Anti-Harassment Training and Other Significant Expansions of the NJ Law Against Discrimination
CDC Releases Guidance for Employers Regarding the Coronavirus
Coronavirus and the Workplace: What Employers Need To Know
Mandatory Severance Pay for Mass Layoffs Looms in New Jersey
By Evandro Gigante, Laura Fant and Arielle E. Kobetz on Posted in Workplace Restructuring and WARN
New York City Extends Human Rights Law Protections and Training Requirements to Freelancers and Independent Contractors
Sweeping Changes Coming to Colorado Wage and Hour and Vacation Pay Rules
By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Vacation policy, Wage and Hour
Emerging Trend: ADA Does Not Cover Potential Future Disabilities
By Harris Mufson, Laura Fant and Jacob L. Hirsch on Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
Westchester County, New York Issues Guidance and Mandatory Notices for Safe Time Leave Law
By Allan Bloom, Laura Fant and Arielle E. Kobetz on Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
New York State Issues Additional Guidance Following Recent Expansion of Workplace Anti-Discrimination Protections
By Evandro Gigante, Arielle E. Kobetz and Laura Fant on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
Voting and Other Political Activities: Is Your Workplace Ready for Election Day?
NYC Commission on Human Rights Issues Enforcement Guidance on National Origin and Immigration Status Discrimination
By Evandro Gigante, Arielle E. Kobetz and Laura Fant on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
San Antonio, Texas Approves Revisions to Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance
By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Leaves of Absences
U.S. Department of Labor Proposes Revisions to Model FMLA Forms
By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Leaves of Absences
New York State to Require Reasonable Accommodation for Victims of Domestic Violence
New York State Significantly Expands Workplace Anti-Discrimination Protections
[Podcast]: New York State Enacts Law Prohibiting Hairstyle Discrimination
New Jersey Becomes the Latest Jurisdiction to Enact Ban on Salary History Inquiries
By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Hiring/Background Checks
Oregon Enacts Expansive Paid Family and Medical Leave Law
By Evandro Gigante, Laura Fant and Arielle E. Kobetz on Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
San Antonio, Texas Paid Sick Leave Law Put on Hold Pending Legal Challenge
By Evandro Gigante, Laura Fant and Arielle E. Kobetz on Posted in Leaves of Absences
Toledo, Ohio Passes Ban on Salary History Inquiries
By Allan Bloom and Laura Fant on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Hiring/Background Checks
