Key takeaways:

• New York law effective in April prohibits using job applicants’ credit history or credit scores in hiring decisions with specific exceptions.
• The federal EEOC rescinded 2024 anti-harassment guidance, but New York state continues enforcement on gender identity protections.
• The Trapped at Work Act, amended in February, restricts repayment obligations as a condition of employment.
• New laws require New York employers to implement policies addressing workplace gender-based violence and healthcare facilities to develop violence prevention programs.

A trio of legal experts on Thursday discussed new state labor and employment laws and regulations during an online event presented by the Rochester Business Journal and The Daily Record.

The virtual panel sponsored by Harris Beach Murtha and Phillips Lytle LLP included: Matthew Holmes, an associate at Littler; James R. O’Connor, a partner at Phillips Lytle; and Ibrahim Tariq, a partner at Harris Beach Murtha.

Effective in April, a new law prohibits the use of a job applicant’s credit history, or their credit score, when making a hiring decision.

“If you institute background checks on new applicants … make very sure that whatever background check company you’re using, or if you’re doing it yourself, you’re being very careful to not get their credit score, their credit history,” Tariq said.

There are limited exceptions to the law, such as employers that are required by other laws to check an applicant’s credit history....

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