Podcast: New York Employment State of Mind
Hosted by: David Weisenfeld
New York may not quite be California East when it comes to leading employment trends, but the past year has certainly pushed the Empire State in that direction. That's according to New York City employment attorney Jason Habinsky of Haynes & Boone.
On this podcast, we discuss a host of recent employment law developments affecting employers at both the state and local level in New York. Some of the most notable measures include:
- New York's expanding efforts to fight worker misclassification;
- New York City's paid sick leave and pregnancy accommodation laws;
- Ban the Box measures in Buffalo and Rochester affecting private businesses; and
- The statewide legalization of medical marijuana.
Podcast: New York Employment State of Mind
October 1, 2014
Habinsky predicts that New York State will follow New York City's lead when it comes to paid sick leave, as it has a similar law pending. Currently, there are two states that mandate paid sick leave (California and Connecticut). But Habinsky notes there has been a "domino effect" of legislation in this area.
In light of the current state of the law for pregnant workers, the Haynes & Boone attorney calls it "a perfect storm of protections for pregnant women in the workplace." As a result, he advises employers to take whatever steps they can to reasonably accommodate them. The US Supreme Court is hearing a case in December, Young v. United Parcel Service, about the extent of an employer's obligations in this area.