Last month, the New York City Commission on Human Rights (“NYCCHR”) adopted enforcement guidance on its prohibition of discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived “alienage and citizenship status” and “national origin.” The NYCCHR highlighted the following demographics of our city’s melting pot:
- Approximately 3.2 million residents (37% of the city’s population) were born outside of the country
- More than 50% of children in the city have a foreign-born parent
- Approximately 60% of residents in the city live with at least one immigrant in the household
- With hundreds of languages spoken throughout the five boroughs, New York is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world
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On August 6, 2019, Acting Governor Sheila Oliver signed into law the New Jersey Wage Theft Act (“WTA”), which amended state wage and hour and wage collection laws. » Read More
In the wake of the new minimum wage law passed earlier this month, eight immigrant workers have filed a lawsuit against Caribbean Car Wash Inc. in Elizabeth, New Jersey (CCW), alleging CCW paid them less than $5 per hour for many years and denied them overtime because of their immigration status, or lack thereof. » Read More
Earlier this year, the New Jersey Appellate Division addressed the relationship between the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, N.J.S.A. 24:6I-1 et seq., and the Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”), N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq. In Wild v. Carriage Funeral Holdings, Inc., 458 N.J. » Read More
Employees in New York State are likely to see a major expansion of employment rights broadly relating to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, under an expansive bill passed by the New York Legislature in June and expected to be signed by Gov. » Read More
On July 25, 2019, Acting Governor Sheila Oliver signed a law that bans employers from asking job applicants about their salary history. (A similar law was vetoed by former Governor Chris Christie in 2017.) New Jersey joins a growing number of states and cities that have, or are considering, passing salary history bans. » Read More
Effective April 1, 2019, New York City employers with at least 15 employees (including interns and independent contractors) who have worked more than 80 hours and at least 90 days in a calendar year, must begin providing mandatory sexual harassment training for all employees, including supervisors, managers, part-time employees, independent contractors, interns, and seasonal employees. » Read More
Effective May 10, 2020, law Int. 1445-A will officially prohibit New York City employers, labor organizations, and employment agencies from conducting pre-employment drug testing for THC, the active ingredient in cannabis and marijuana. However, this holds true only for non-safety sensitive positions. » Read More
Every employer in the state of New Jersey that employs at least 20 people is required to offer pre-tax commuter benefits to employees (who are not subject to a collective bargaining agreement). The definition of “employee” mirrors the definition used in the unemployment compensation law: that is, anyone hired or employed by the employer who reports to the employer’s work location. » Read More
