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You searched News & Insights for: "Sydney M. Schubert & Publications"

  • 03.12.2024Activity in the Legislature Addressing Inactive Licenses and Other Reform On January 16, 2024, Governor Murphy signed S4265/A5912 into law, reforming New Jersey’s long-standing liquor license practices. The law was enacted to provide open opportunities for new development in communities, in the hope that craft alcohol manufacturers will revitalize business districts across the state. The law aims to harmonize growth with the substantial investments of existing liquor licenses holders. Reforms include making use of inactive licenses, easing restrictions on breweries and distilleries, and creating new types of licenses.
  • 08.10.2023NLRB Applies a Shifting Burdens Analysis in Reviewing Employer Work Rules; Boeing Overruled On August 2, 2023, the NLRB further limited employers’ flexibility in designing work rules by holding that all work rules will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and no work rules will get an automatic pass. The Board’s 3-1 decision in Stericycle Inc. holds that once the NLRB General Counsel proves that a work rule could chill employees’ exercise of Section 7 rights, there is a presumption that the rule is unlawful, which the employer can rebut only with proof that the work rule serves a lawful business interest, the rule advances the lawful interest, and a more narrowly tailored rule would not advance the interest.
  • 06.27.2023New York Assembly Passes Bill to Ban Non-Compete Agreements On June 20, 2023, the New York State Assembly passed a bill (A1278B) to make non-compete agreements unlawful. The New York State Senate previously passed the bill’s counterpart (S3100A). The bills aim to prohibit non-compete agreements and authorize covered individuals to bring a civil action against employers alleged to have violated the bills’ provisions. The bills make clear that they would ban non-competes entered into or modified after the effective date. If signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, the bills would come into effect 30 days after being signed into law. While the business community reacted with shock and anger at the bills, the proposed bills in New York follow the nationwide trend against non-competes that we have been tracking for the past several years.
  • 09.13.2022High Maintenance: The NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission Rolls Out Long-Awaited Guidance On Drug Testing, Discipline, & Cannabis In The Workplace Employers, note that the Guidance from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is only a temporary gap-fill. The Commission has yet to issue standards on the required certification process for those workplace experts who will be designated to detect an employee’s on-the-job impairment from cannabis (among other substances). Here’s what New Jersey employers need to know now.
  • 03.28.2022New DOJ Guidance on ADA Web Accessibility Leaves Unanswered Questions On March 18, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published web accessibility guidance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same ability as everyone else to enjoy opportunities, goods, and services. Although the new Guidance establishes the DOJ’s intentions to ensure websites are accessible to all, it leaves several unanswered questions on exactly how businesses and governments are to stay in compliance with the ADA.
  • 11.17.2021Governor Hochul Expands The New York Paid Family Leave Act To Cover Siblings With A Serious Health Condition This is the first blog in a series covering New York’s Recent Expansions Of Its Employment Laws. Governor Hochul recently expanded New York’s Paid Family Leave Act by amending the definition of family to include siblings. Siblings under the amendment covers both biological and adopted siblings, half siblings, and step-siblings. This amendment will allow employees time off to care for siblings with a serious health condition. Employers have time to comply, as this amendment does not become effective until January 1, 2023.
  • 10.12.2021Employees 70 & Older Gain New Life With Expanded Protections Against Age Discrimination in the Workplace On October 5, 2021, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation expanding the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) providing increased protections against age discrimination for workers 70 years of age and older. The new legislation closes loopholes by repealing provisions permitting age discrimination in hiring, promoting, and retirement practices, while increasing available remedies to those facing age discrimination in employment.
  • 09.08.2021Stepping In Where Unions Have Failed, NYC Council Imposes Just Cause Standard On Non-Union Employers As our readers may be aware, in March 2021, New York City passed an ordinance requiring fast food employers to have just cause to discharge their employees, where discharge includes termination, constructive discharge, indefinite suspension, and reduction in hours by more than 15%. The ordinance has been effective as of July 5, 2021, and enforcement of these mandates began September 3, 2021.
  • 06.24.2021NJ District Court Gives Employers Hope in the Fight Against FMLA Misuse On May 28, 2021, the U.S. District for New Jersey in VanHook v. Cooper Health Systems, granted Cooper’s summary judgment against its employee’s discrimination and retaliation claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The District Court agreed with the employer that the record confirms the employee’s abusive and dishonest actions and granted the employer’s motion of summary judgment.
  • 05.20.2021The Devil is in the Details: NJ District Court Demands Details of Sexual Harassment to Defeat Motion to Dismiss On April 12, 2021, the New Jersey District Court for the District of New Jersey in Spence v. New Jersey, et al., granted in part and denied in part a motion to dismiss an employee’s sexual harassment and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD). The employee claimed she was sexually harassed by her co-worker and that her supervisors took retaliatory action against her for reporting the alleged sexual harassment. The District Court found that the employee failed to sufficiently plead her sexual harassment claim for lack of pervasive harassment, and in part failed to sufficiently plead her retaliation claim for lack of temporal proximity.