New York enacted several new employment laws that went into effect at the end of 2025 or will take effect in early 2026. These laws include a prohibition on employment promissory notes as a condition of employment, increases to the minimum wage and exempt salary threshold, a codification of disparate impact discrimination, and the prohibition on the use of credit checks for employment purposes. In addition, New York City expanded its Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) in several key respects. These collectively add a considerable burden on employers with employees in New York but, if steps are taken to meet or sidestep these new laws, companies can avoid needlessly exposing themselves to workplace liability.
Are Reality TV Contestants Independent Contractors or Employees? From Pods to Paychecks With Love Is Blind
In this episode of Hiring to Firing, hosts Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter dive into the intriguing intersection of reality TV and employment law. Joined by Troutman Pepper Locke Labor and Employment Partner Richard Reibstein (author of the popular Independent Contractor Misclassification & Compliance blog), they explore the lawsuit alleging that contestants on the hit Netflix reality series Love Is Blind have been misclassified as independent contractors instead of employees — and the real-life implications for other production companies as well as companies in other industries. Tune in for an insightful discussion that blends legal expertise with the drama of reality television.