Just as New York employers have begun to adjust to some of the changes that we reported in January, the state and city have rolled out further updates, keeping employers on their toes. Here's an overview of the highlights from the first quarter of 2022 and some pending legislation that we are tracking.
New York State Updates
New York Hero Act Amendment
Per the NY HERO Act's website, "[o]n March 17, 2022, the designation of COVID-19 as an airborne infectious disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health under the HERO Act ended. Private sector employers are no longer required to implement their workforce safety plans." Employers, however, are still required to have a HERO Act safety plan, provide a copy of the plan to employees, post the plan in each worksite, and include a copy within their employee handbooks. Separately, in New York City, employers are still subject to the workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandate, notwithstanding the fact that the "Key to NYC" requirements for entertainment establishments are no longer in effect.
New York State Human Rights Laws Amendments
On March 16, New York Governor Hochul signed into law several amendments to the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) that became effective on that date. The first amendment aims to prohibit retaliation through the publication of an employee's personnel records. The amendment modifies the definition of "unlawful retaliation" to include "disclosing an employee's personnel files...
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