Tag Archives: leaves of absence

Minneapolis Approves Paid Sick Leave Law

By Laura Fant and Patrick Lamparello on June 1, 2016 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

The Minneapolis city council has approved an ordinance requiring employers with six or more employees to provide up to 48 hours of paid sick leave each year. Employers with five or fewer employees will be required to provide up to 48 hours of unpaid sick leave. The ordinance will take effect on July 1, 2017. … Continue Reading

EEOC Releases New Guidance on Unpaid Leave as a Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA

By Allan Weitzman and Laura Fant on May 11, 2016 Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has released new guidance on unpaid leave as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The guidance, issued on May 9, 2016, makes clear that employers must not only provide employees with disabilities access to leave as an accommodation on the same basis as similarly situated … Continue Reading

New York State Enacts Paid Family Leave Law

By Katharine Parker and Laura Fant on April 5, 2016 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

In what is being called one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind in the United States, New York State has enacted a paid family leave law that will ultimately require employers to provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of paid, job-protected leave per year to care for a new child or … Continue Reading

Pittsburgh’s New Sick Leave Ordinance Challenged in State Court

By Allison Martin and Katharine Parker on September 30, 2015 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures

In August, the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania passed an ordinance that will require most employers to provide workers with paid or unpaid sick time. Pittsburgh follows the lead of Philadelphia, which approved a similar measure earlier this year. Shortly thereafter, the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association and a group of Pittsburgh businesses filed a challenge … Continue Reading

Oregon Becomes the Fourth State with a Paid Sick Leave Law

By Allison Martin and Katharine Parker on June 24, 2015 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures

Oregon recently passed a new law that will require most employers with 10 or more employees to provide paid sick time. Oregon is the fourth state to adopt a paid sick leave law, following Connecticut, California, and Massachusetts. Some Key Provisions of the Passed Bill: Effective January 1, 2016, employers with 10 or more … Continue Reading

Philadelphia Issues Sick Leave Notice

By Allison Martin and Katharine Parker on May 4, 2015 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

The City of Philadelphia Managing Director’s Office (“the Agency”) recently issued its official notice of employee rights under the Philadelphia sick leave ordinance. Philadelphia’s sick leave ordinance, which takes effect on May 13, 2015, requires employers to provide employees with notice of their right to sick leave by either distributing the notice to each employee … Continue Reading

NJ Businesses and Lawmakers Continue Debate over Municipal Sick Leave Laws

By Daniel Saperstein, Joseph O’Keefe and Kelly Anne Targett on April 23, 2015 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Litigation and Arbitration, Workplace Policies and Procedures

Controversy continues to stir over the growing number of municipal sick leave laws in the State of New Jersey. To date, nine such localities—Bloomfield, East Orange, Irvington, Jersey City, Montclair, Newark, Passaic, Paterson and Trenton— have required employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees. No other state in the nation has anywhere near … Continue Reading

Sick Leave Trend Continues in New Jersey, Constitutional Challenge Begins

By Daniel Saperstein and Joseph O’Keefe on March 6, 2015 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

This week Bloomfield became the ninth locality in the State of New Jersey to require employers to provide sick leave to their employees, joining Jersey City, Newark, Passaic, East Orange, Paterson, Irvington, Trenton, and Montclair. Bloomfield’s new law is quite similar to the other sick leave laws in New Jersey. Employers in the city with … Continue Reading

Philadelphia Joins List of Cities Mandating Paid Sick Leave

By Katharine Parker and Matthew Engel on March 1, 2015 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures

On February 12, 2015, Philadelphia became yet another jurisdiction to pass a law guaranteeing paid sick leave for employees. The Philadelphia ordinance grants certain employees paid sick leave which can be used to respond to physical or mental illness, to care for ill family members, to attend preventative or diagnostic medical appointments, and to respond … Continue Reading

DOL Issues Final Rule Redefining “Spouse” Under FMLA

By Katharine Parker on February 25, 2015 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

Today the Department of Labor (DOL) issued its Final Rule revising the definition of “spouse” under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The Final Rule adopts a “place of celebration” rule, consistent with the current DOL interpretation in the context of other federal laws. Under this “celebration” rule, an employee may take FMLA leave to care for an … Continue Reading

No End In Sight For Wave of Paid Family and Sick Leave Laws

By Katharine Parker on January 15, 2015 Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Leaves of Absences, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures

Employers have been scrambling to keep up with the multitude of paid sick leave laws that were passed in the last several years. These laws vary by jurisdiction and often can’t be easily reconciled into a uniform policy — an issue for multi-state employers. As reported in today’s New York Times, President Obama is asking … Continue Reading

New York Law Providing Unpaid Leave For Emergency Responders Takes Effect

By Katharine Parker and Rachel Fischer on January 5, 2015 Posted in Workplace Policies and Procedures

New York recently passed a new leave law mandating unpaid leave for emergency responders. The law took effect December 22, 2014. Under the law, employers must provide unpaid leave to employees who serve as volunteer firefighters or volunteer ambulance personnel when the governor declares a state of emergency, unless the employee’s absence would impose and … Continue Reading

The Top 10 Trends in New Jersey Employment Law in 2014

By John Barry, Joseph O’Keefe, Matthew Engel and Daniel Saperstein on December 31, 2014 Posted in Accessibility & Accommodation, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Hiring/Background Checks, Leaves of Absences, Litigation and Arbitration, Performance Management, Discipline & Termination, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures

2014 was another busy year for developments in New Jersey employment law, including in ten key areas—whistleblowing, pre-employment inquiries/background checks, amendments to the Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”), LAD litigation, wage and hour, the Family Medical Leave Act, sick leave, states of emergency, arbitration, and “unemployment discrimination.” Read our Top 10 newsletter to learn more about … Continue Reading

Voters in Four Jurisdictions Pass Sick Leave Ballot Initiatives

By Allison Martin and Katharine Parker on November 6, 2014 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

The national sick leave trend continues to gain momentum as voters in Massachusetts, Trenton and Montclair, New Jersey, and Oakland, California approved ballot initiatives requiring employers within each jurisdiction to provide sick leave to their employees. Similar laws already have taken effect in several jurisdictions across the country, including the States of Connecticut and California, … Continue Reading

New Ebola Orders from NY and NJ Governors Provide Additional Relief for Employers

By Katharine Parker on October 24, 2014 Posted in Workplace Policies and Procedures

Employers in New York and New Jersey who were wondering whether to require employees returning from the three West African nations of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea who had direct contact with a person with Ebola to stay home from work during the 21-day Ebola incubation period now do not have to make that decision. … Continue Reading

New CDC Ebola Monitoring Protocol is Good News for Employers

By Katharine Parker on October 22, 2014 Posted in Workplace Policies and Procedures

The CDC has just announced new active post-arrival monitoring for all travelers entering the U.S. from Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea. This will entail: Screening by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Customs and Border Protection at the airport Providing travelers with a “CARE” kit that includes a thermometer and other guidance on how to … Continue Reading

Ebola Worries and the Workplace – What Can Employers Do?

By Katharine Parker and Laura Fant on October 10, 2014 Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Workplace Policies and Procedures

With the current Ebola outbreak leading the news, employers may be considering what steps can and should be taken in the event that an employee has recently traveled to an area that is experiencing a significant rate of infection. First, employers should know that the World Health Organization has stated the “risk of a tourist … Continue Reading

New York City Issues Additional Sick Leave Act FAQS

By Allison Martin and Katharine Parker on October 2, 2014 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) has been busy answering questions about administration of sick leave under the New York City Earned Sick Time Act. In light of ambiguities in the law and regulations, the DCA has released new Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQS”) to provide additional guidance on the Act’s application to … Continue Reading

Delaware Latest State to Expand Protections for Pregnant Applicants and Workers

By Daniel Saperstein and Katharine Parker on September 9, 2014 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

On September 9, 2014, Delaware joined a number of other states, enacting legislation to require reasonable accommodation of pregnancy, not just pregnancy disability. Accommodations that would pose an undue hardship are not required. The new law takes effect immediately. The Delaware law is notable because it expressly refers to lactation as being a pregnancy-related condition … Continue Reading

New Massachusetts Law Entitles Employees to Domestic Violence Leave

By Scott Faust on September 8, 2014 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

On August 8, 2014, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed into law a far-reaching Act designed to combat the problems of domestic violence. Notably, the Act became effective immediately upon the Governor signing it into law. Though the Act is tailored largely toward law enforcement programs and training, as well as increased penalties for criminal acts … Continue Reading

Connecticut Amends Paid Sick Leave Law

By Katharine Parker on July 7, 2014 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

Connecticut Governor Daniel Malloy recently signed Public Act No. 14-128 to amend the state’s Paid Sick Leave law. Under the Connecticut Paid Sick Leave law, which took effect January 1, 2012, an eligible “service worker” is entitled to accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every forty hours worked, up to a maximum of … Continue Reading

Newark Sick Leave Law Update

By Daniel Saperstein, Joseph O’Keefe and Lawrence R. Sandak on June 17, 2014 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

The Newark Department of Child and Family Well-Being (Department) recently issued a press release on the City’s new paid sick leave ordinance (Ordinance) together with FAQ forms for employees and employers. In the release, the Department appears to move the effective date of the Ordinance from May 29, 2014 to June 21, 2014. One of the requirements … Continue Reading

NYC Sick Leave Law Goes Into Effect April 1

By Katharine Parker on March 21, 2014 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

As of today, NYC employers, with 5 or more employees, must provide job-protected paid sick leave to their employees. Smaller employers must provide job-protected unpaid sick leave. Key aspects of the law include: Leave accrues at the rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked for any employee who works at least 80 hours … Continue Reading

Mayor de Blasio Signs New York City Sick Leave Law – Notice of Rights Available

By Allan Weitzman, Fredric Leffler, Katharine Parker and Marc A. Mandelman on March 21, 2014 Posted in Leaves of Absences, Workplace Policies and Procedures

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the amended Earned Sick Time Act on Thursday, March 20, 2014. The law takes effect April 1, 2014. The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (“DCA”) has now posted FAQs and template notices on its website. All employers must issue a notice of rights to employees. Please read … Continue Reading

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