New York Blog — Employment Defense
Labor and Employment Defense
Welcome to the NYC Employment Law Blog! This blog is an online publication of Stephen D. Hans & Associates, P.C., a New York City law firm that has been representing small and mid-sized businesses throughout the New York metropolitan area in all types of employment and labor law matters for over thirty years. We hope this blog will be an interesting and informative resource for our readers, whether they are current or past clients, or simply compliance-minded business owners looking for ways to stay up-to-date with the ever-changing employment law landscape. To that end, we will endeavor to offer regular blog posts highlighting legislative developments, significant court and agency decisions and noteworthy news stories from the employment and labor law realm. We hope that as a reader you will find ours blog enlightening, useful and above all, interesting.
If you are the owner of a small or mid-sized business in New York State and have questions regarding any of our blog posts, or if you would like to consult with us regarding any employment or labor law issues, please feel free to give us a call at (718) 275-6700 or contact us online to schedule an in-person consultation at our offices.
Thank you for visiting our blog and we hope that you check back often!
Sincerely,
Stephen D. Hans & Associates, P.C.
Blogs
How to Protect Your Small Business Against Sexual Harassment
Are You Dealing with Sexual Harassment Issues in Your Business?
If you are a small business owner, you may wonder how to protect your small business from sexual harassment and resulting claims that put your business at risk.
Here are some questions and answers (Q&A) that are a good place to start when dealing with sexual harassment.
What Would Raising the Minimum Wage Mean for the Restaurant Industry?
Most people assume that restaurant workers would be thrilled about a raise in the minimum wage, but that restaurant owners would not be in favor of it.
An interesting situation took place in Maine last summer that is worthy of note regarding minimum wages. According to The Washington Post , the Maine House voted to lower minimum wages for tipped restaurant workers based on the workers’ request. The bill to reduce their minimum wages passed and restaurant workers were happy about it.
Restaurant servers in Maine had campaigned to overturn the results of a November referendum that would’ve raised servers’ hourly wages from $3.75 in 2016 to $12 by 2024. They believed that such a raise would result in customers tipping less and consequently lower overall income.
Representative Conyers: Claims Mounting About Sexual Misconduct
Since multiple allegations of sexual misconduct emerged regarding Harvey Weinstein, during the past month, other women have come forward in Hollywood and other industries to make their claims of sexual harassment known.
A recent example is Democratic Representative John Conyers, who is resigning amidst accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple women.
Confers announced his decision to retire while in a Detroit hospital during an interview on “The Mildred Gaddis Show” on 102.7 FM. and said he plans to back his son to replace him.
Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Companies Accused of Discrimination or Harassment: What Can You Do?
When accusations of discrimination or harassment emerge, employers should consult with an employment law defense lawyer as soon as possible. Aside from seeking counsel, what actions can you take right away and what mistakes can you avoid?
The American Bar Association suggests avoiding the following mistakes.
Weinstein Misconduct Leads to Investigation of the Weinstein Company
Do You Have Harassment Issues in Your Company?
The New York Times broke the story on October 5th about Harvey Weinstein’s sexual harassment of actresses. That led to a criminal investigation, and now the whole company has come under the scrutiny of a civil investigation.
On October 23, The New York Times reported that New York Attorney General, Eric T. Schneiderman opened an investigation into the Weinstein Company by sending a subpoena that requested documents such as personnel files, criteria for firing, termination and promotion, and filed with the company regarding sexual harassment, gender or age discrimination. In addition, the subpoena sought information as to how complaints were handled and any private out-of-court settlements reached.