Q: Does using social media advertisements targeted to younger potential applicants raise age discrimination concerns?

A: The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”) makes it illegal to discriminate against workers over the age of 40 in employment advertising, recruiting, hiring, and other employment opportunities.  The publication provision of the ADEA generally makes it unlawful to “print or publish” job notices or advertisements “indicating any preference, limitation, specification or discrimination, based on age.”  Age preferences for younger employees are only appropriate when age is demonstrated as a bona fide occupational qualification that is reasonably necessary for the normal operation of the business.

Perhaps before the year-end holidays kicked in, you might have noticed that on Friday, December 14, 2018, a Texas judge struck down the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) as unconstitutional in its entirety.  The judge held that since 2017’s tax bill effectively eliminated the penalty for violations of the ACA’s individual…

Q: I have employees in Connecticut.  What do I need to know about the new pay equity law?

A:  Effective January 1, 2019, employers are not allowed to: (1) inquire (whether directly or through a third party) about a prospective employee’s wage history; or (2) prohibit employees from disclosing or discussing the amount of their wages or the wages of another employee that has been voluntarily disclosed by the other employee.

Do you monitor your employees using technology?  Would you consider making them wear wristbands or other devices capturing their every move?

This spring, news spread that Amazon had been granted two patents for a new wristband that appeared to be designed to do just that for its warehouse and fulfillment…

Q.  Can you explain to me Philadelphia’s new Fair Workweek Ordinance?

A.  In late December 2018, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed an Ordinance that will require large fast-food chains, retailers, and hotels to provide employees with advance notice of their schedules and a variety of other protections. The Ordinance—known as the “Fair Workweek” Ordinance—requires certain Philadelphia employers to provide employees with at least two weeks’ advance notice of their schedules, offer remuneration to employees if their schedules are changed, and provide minimum periods of rest in between shifts. The Ordinance is similar to ordinances adopted in New York, San Francisco, and other large cities.  It is scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2020.

Q.  My company conducts operations in several locations throughout New York State. What do I need to know about the upcoming minimum wage increases and new salary threshold requirements for our administrative and executive level employees?

A.  Employers in New York State should prepare to ring in the New Year with yet another increase in the minimum wage, as well as substantial increases in the salary thresholds for exempt executive and administrative employees. In 2016, as part of a sweeping overhaul of the state’s wage and hour law, the New York Department of Labor amended the rules to provide for annual increases across the spectrum of wages, with the third phase set to go into effect on December 31, 2018.

Q.  Are there any steps we should take to protect our company from liability in the #MeToo era?

A.  A year ago, sexual assault allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein rocked the entertainment industry and quickly led to the rise of the #MeToo movement, sparking an upsurge of reports and claims of sexual harassment in workplaces across America. In many cases, the alleged misconduct is not new. But the intensity, tone, and tenor of the claims — and the sheer volume of allegations — has been dramatically different and has had significant effects on businesses caught in the cross-hairs.

The Bloomberg Editorial Board recently published an article entitled “Too Many Workers Are Trapped By Non-Competes” arguing that the practice of requiring relatively low-wage and/or unskilled workers to sign non-compete agreements is a drag on the economy and is contributing to wage stagnation. The article contends that restricting unspecialized workers’…

Q.  Are there any limitations on my company’s ability to require employees to submit to drug and alcohol testing after an accident?

A.  In May 2016, OSHA published a final rule that, among other things, amended the Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSH Act) to prohibit employers from retaliating against employees for reporting a work-related illness or injury. In the preamble to that final rule, OSHA cautioned that a blanket rule that mandates drug/alcohol testing after every accident, injury or illness could be seen as retaliatory. Instead, before requiring an employee to submit to post-accident testing, OSHA said  that there must be a “reasonable possibility” that drug or alcohol use caused or contributed to the reported injury or illness.  Thus, for example, it would not make sense to test an employee who reported a repetitive strain injury from typing, since drug or alcohol use is not likely to be involved.

Q: I am an employer in Westchester County.  What do I need to know about the new paid sick leave law?  If I have employees in both Westchester County and New York City, can I have one paid sick leave policy that covers everyone?

A: Westchester County recently enacted its Earned Sick Leave Law (“ESLL”), which goes into effect on April 10, 2019.  While the law is similar in many aspects to New York City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (“ESSTA”), there are some important differences.  Employers who want one policy to cover employees in both locations (referred to below as a “dual policy”) can opt to offer the more generous benefit.  Alternatively, employers can create a policy with carve-outs that are applicable to subsets of employees (referred to below as a “carve-out policy”).  As explained below, the key differences between the laws are whether the law covers safe time as a permissible use of sick leave, and the definition of family member.