New York City Prohibits Discrimination Against The Unemployed and Requires Mandatory Sick Leave
Employers in New York City should take note of two recent initiatives by the New York City Council to expand workers’ rights. The first is a new law that amends the New York City Human Rights Law to make it unlawful for employers to discriminate against individuals on the basis of unemployment. The law went into effect on June 11, 2013. In addition, this week the City Council overrode Mayor Bloomberg’s veto and enacted the Earned Sick Time Act, which requires employers to provide a minimum amount of sick leave to employees, in most cases with pay. The law will go into effect no earlier than April 1, 2014 (potentially later depending on a formula tied to an economic index). Below is a summary of the new laws.