2022/2023 Labor Laws Businesses Need to Know
We’d like to share an important update, courtesy of the Business Council of New York:
There was a flurry of activity in recent weeks that will impact many New York employers. The following bills have been signed by the Governor and will become law:
Requires copies of certain documents physically posted in a workplace to be made available to employees electronically – Effective 12/16/2022. Requires employers to make mandatory workplace postings available to applicants and employees electronically on the employer’s website or by email. Click here to learn more.
Prohibits discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status – Effective 12/23/2022.
Workplace Safety Committees – Effective 12/28/2022. An employer must recognize within fifteen business days the establishment of a workplace safety committee when requested by two or more employees.
“Carlos Law” – Effective 1/22/2023 – Established penalties in the event of the death or serious injury of a worker.
Provides that workers shall not be punished or subjected to discipline by employers for lawful absences – Effective 2/19/2023 – Employers may not retaliate because such employee has used any legally protected absence pursuant to federal, local, or state law or assessing any demerit, occurrence, any other point, or deductions from an allotted bank of time, which subjects or could subject an employee to disciplinary action, which may include but not be limited to failure to receive a promotion or loss of pay.
Warehouse Worker Protection Act – Effective 2/19/2023. Employers with warehouse operations that employ 100 or more workers and use employee “quota” systems are required to provide information and data to certain employees.
Expanded protections for nursing mothers - Effective 6/7/2023 – An employer shall provide reasonable unpaid break time…and shalldesignate a room (i) in close proximity to the work area; (ii) well lit; (iii) shielded from view; and (iv) free from intrusion from other persons in the workplace or the public. Such room or other location shall provide, at minimum, a chair, a working surface, nearby access to clean running water and, if the workplace is supplied with electricity, an electrical outlet. The room or location provided by the employer for this purpose shall not be a restroom or toilet stall. If the workplace has access to refrigeration, the employer shall extend such access to refrigeration for the purposes of storing the expressed milk. Employers shall provide such written policy to each employee upon hire and annually thereafter, and to employees upon returning to work following the birth of a child.
Requires employers to disclose compensation or range of compensation to applicants and employees – Effective September 17, 2023. Requires employers to disclose a “good faith” compensation or range of compensation and job description if there is one, to applicants and employees when advertising a position.