In a recent legal development, a New York State Supreme Court ruled that the source-of-income anti-discrimination statute within the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) is unconstitutional, citing a violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Articles Discussing The New York Human Rights Law.
New York City Enacts Legislation Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Height, Weight
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has signed legislation amending the New York City Human Rights Law to prohibit discrimination based on a person’s height or weight in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The new law will become effective on November 22, 2023.
NYC Enacts Height and Weight Anti-Discrimination Ordinance
On May 26, 2023, New York City enacted an ordinance amending the New York City Human Rights Law to ban employment discrimination on the basis of a person’s height and weight.1 This new ordinance further expands the comprehensive list of characteristics already protected by the New York City Human Rights
Suffolk County Fair Housing Task Force Recommends Amendments to County Human Rights Law
After conducting an analysis of the Suffolk County Human Rights Law (“HRL”) as it pertains to housing discrimination, the Suffolk County Fair Housing Task Force (“Task Force”) released its final report and recommendations to lawmakers in its continued efforts to combat housing discrimination.
New York City Human Rights Law Ban On Pre-Employment Marijuana Testing Takes Effect
The New York City Commission on Human Rights issued a written reminder on May 8, 2020 that the law prohibiting pre-employment marijuana testing is effective on May 10, 2020. In addition, the Commission stated that it is finalizing rules that will expand the list of exceptions to the law. The
New York City Amends Human Rights Law to Extend Protections to Freelancers and Independent Contractors
In recent years both New York State and New York City have actively amended their anti-discrimination laws to expand worker protections. For example, both the state and city have passed laws requiring most employers to distribute anti-sexual harassment policies and to provide anti-harassment training to their workforces.
Pre-Employment Marijuana Drug Testing Goes Up in Smoke in NYC
On April 9, 2019, the New York City Council passed a first-of-its-kind bill that prohibits pre-employment drug testing for the presence of marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinols. Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign the bill into law, which would take effect one year after enactment.1 Significantly, the law would not prohibit employer drug-testing programs that test existing employees for marijuana.
New York City Publishes Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Video and New FAQs
As we have previously reported,1 New York State and New York City both enacted legislation in 2018 that require New York employers to train their employees in workplace sexual harassment prevention. The state training legislation went into effect on October 9, 2018, and the city training legislation went into effect on April 1, 2019. Together, the laws require employers to train their New York-based workforce annually and to cover certain topics during the training such as the definition of sexual harassment, a manager’s role in preventing sexual harassment, retaliation, and bystander intervention, among other topics.
New York City Releases Model Policies for Lactation Room Law
The New York City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) has released model policies for the City’s lactation room law, effective March 18, 2019.
New York City Council Seeks Further Protections for Fast Food Industry Workers
Protections for transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming employees in New York have been given a boost. Significant changes to the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) will expand the scope of prohibited discriminatory conduct. Additionally, New York State has enacted the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), which went into effect on February 25, 2019.
New York City and California Push for Laws Requiring More Employee Leave Time
New York and California are often characterized as two of the most employee-friendly states in the country. In continuation of that perception, New York City and California are announcing new employee leave initiatives.
New York City Employers Must Provide Lactation Rooms, Maintain Written Policy Starting March 18, 2019
Effective March 18, 2019, New York City employers with at least four workers must provide lactation rooms for employees and maintain a written policy for distribution to employees upon hire.
NYC Council Proposes Additional Harassment Training Requirement for “Nightlife Establishments” and Their Employees
As previously reported, this year both the State of New York and the City of New York enacted legislation requiring employers to distribute sexual harassment prevention policies and to train their workforce about the prevention of workplace sexual harassment and available legal remedies. On October 31, 2018, the New York City Council introduced related legislation targeting the City’s nightlife establishments and the issue of patron harassment.
New York City Releases Guidance on Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training, Notice Requirements
The New York City Commission on Human Rights has released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as guidance on the “Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act.”
Reminder – NYC’s Temporary Schedule Change Law Becomes Effective on July 18, 2018
Enacted this past January, New York City’s “Temporary Schedule Change” law becomes effective on July 18, 2018.1 The law provides employees with the right to request two temporary schedule changes per calendar year for “personal events,” and employers must ensure that they are prepared to respond to their employees’ requests for changes in work schedules and understand what types of personal events qualify for leave.