Law and the Workplace

Category Archives: Leaves of Absences

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Federal Family First Coronavirus Response Act Signed Into Law

By Evandro Gigante, Guy Brenner, Laura Fant, Arielle E. Kobetz and Heylee Bernstein on Posted in Coronavirus, Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
*** UPDATE: The Department of Labor has issued guidance stating that the law will take effect on April 1, 2020.  More information on the guidance can be found on our blog post here.*** On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into the law the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Family First Act” or the … Continue Reading

New York State Enacts Coronavirus Response Bill Including Paid Sick Time and Other Statutory Benefits

By Harris Mufson, Evandro Gigante, Laura Fant, Arielle E. Kobetz and Heylee Bernstein on Posted in Coronavirus, Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
*** 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

Family First Coronavirus Response Act: What Employers Need to Know

By Evandro Gigante, Guy Brenner, Arielle E. Kobetz, Heylee Bernstein and Laura Fant on Posted in Coronavirus, Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
*** 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

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
Coronovirus**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

Coronavirus Concerns Continue as CDC Issues Additional Travel Notices

By Evandro Gigante, Guy Brenner, Laura Fant and Nayirie K. Mehdikhani on Posted in Coronavirus, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures, Workplace Safety
CDC LogoAs 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

Final Regulations Issued for New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Act

By Harris Mufson, Arielle E. Kobetz and Alex Downie on Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (the “Department”) has issued its final regulations regarding the state’s Paid Sick Leave Act (the “Act”), which took effect on October 29, 2018. The Department also published its responses to over one hundred comments submitted by members of the public regarding the proposed regulations. As we … Continue Reading

Pittsburgh Paid Sick Leave Ordinance To Take Effect March 15, 2020

By Harris Mufson and Arielle E. Kobetz on Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Following a prolonged legal challenge brought by a group of Pittsburgh businesses, Pittsburgh’s paid sick leave ordinance will finally take effect on March 15, 2020. As we previously reported, in August 2015, the City of Pittsburgh passed the Paid Sick Days Act (the “Act”) which would have required most employers to provide their employees with … Continue Reading

Nevada Labor Commissioner Issues Advisory Opinions Regarding Paid Personal Leave Law

By Allan Bloom, Arielle E. Kobetz and Eric Novak on Posted in Leaves of Absences
As we previously reported, Nevada has enacted a personal leave law, which, effective January 1, 2020, will require private employers with 50 or more employees in Nevada to provide certain employees working in the state with up to 40 hours of paid leave per year, to be used for any purpose, including non-medical personal reasons. … Continue Reading

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
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

San Antonio, Texas Approves Revisions to Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance

By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Leaves of Absences
Leave of absence formThe 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

U.S. Department of Labor Proposes Revisions to Model FMLA Forms

By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Leaves of Absences
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 State to Require Reasonable Accommodation for Victims of Domestic Violence

By Evandro Gigante, Arielle E. Kobetz and Laura Fant on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Leave of absence formNew 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

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
Leave of absence formUPDATE: 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

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
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

Nevada Enacts Laws Regarding Paid Personal Leave, Drug Testing, and Minimum Wage

By Allan Bloom and Laura Fant on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Leaves of Absences, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Continuing the trend of states passing increasingly progressive employment regulations, Nevada recently enacted three new laws addressing paid leave, workplace drug testing, and minimum wage. Paid Personal Leave Following in the footsteps of Maine, which recently became the first state to enact a personal leave law, SB 312 will require private employers with 50 or … Continue Reading

Final Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Regulations Published and Other PFML Updates

By Mark W. Batten, Samantha Regenbogen Manelin and Thomas B. Fiascone on Posted in Leaves of Absences
Leave of absence formThe Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (“DFML”) has posted the much-anticipated final regulations regarding Massachusetts’ Paid Family and Medical Leave law (“PFML”). The final regulations come on the heels of Massachusetts lawmakers’ recent extension of key PFML compliance dates. While the final regulations are materially unchanged from the previous draft issued March 29th, … Continue Reading

Connecticut to Enact Generous Paid Family and Medical Leave Law

By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Leave of absence formConnecticut is set to become the latest state to join the paid family and medical leave bandwagon, enacting what is set to be one of the most generous laws in the country.  The Act Concerning Paid Family and Medical Leave (the “Act”) was passed by both houses of the state legislature and is presently before Governor … Continue Reading

Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Deadlines Extended

By Mark W. Batten, Samantha Regenbogen Manelin and Thomas B. Fiascone on Posted in Leaves of Absences
With the original July 1, 2019 deadline for numerous provisions of the Commonwealth’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (“PFML”) legislation approaching in mere weeks, Massachusetts lawmakers have now issued a much-welcomed enforcement extension. The extensions comes as employers in the Commonwealth worked to comply with the new law.  The amended legislation, announced earlier this week … Continue Reading

Maine Becomes First State to Require Paid Leave for Any Reason

By Evandro Gigante, Laura Fant and Arielle E. Kobetz on Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Leave of absence formMaine’s Governor Janet Mills has signed into law an Act Authorizing Earned Employee Leave (the “Act”), which will require covered employers to provide employees with up to 40 hours of paid personal leave per calendar year. Unlike other paid family and sick leave laws that have been enacted around the country, Maine’s law would be … Continue Reading

New York City Council to Consider Expanding Earned Safe and Sick Time Act to Require “Personal Time”

By Evandro Gigante and Laura Fant on Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
The New York City Council is considering a bill that would expand the NYC Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) to provide eligible employees with “personal time” that could be used for any reason.  The bill would also expand protections and remedies applicable to all leave under the law, including sick and safe time. … Continue Reading

Dallas, Texas Enacts Paid Sick Leave Law, But Its Future Remains in Question

By Allan Bloom, Laura Fant and Arielle E. Kobetz on Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
The Dallas, Texas City Council has enacted a sick leave ordinance that would require employers to provide eligible employees with paid leave for certain medical and safety-related needs. It remains to be seen, however, whether the ordinance will ultimately take effect. As we have previously reported, in late 2018, a Texas appellate court ruled that … Continue Reading

Westchester County, New York to Require Paid Leave for Victims of Domestic Violence

By Allan Bloom and Laura Fant on Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures
Leave of absence formEffective October 30, 2019, Westchester County, NY employers will be required to provide paid leave to employees who are victims of domestic violence or human trafficking.  Leave under the new ordinance will be in addition to paid time off already required to be provided to employees under the Westchester County paid sick leave law, which … Continue Reading
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