Paid Family Leave

Paid Maternity Leave Finds an Unlikely Champion, But Is That Enough?

January 8, 2021
On the heels of some important wins for paid leave in the 2020 election, paid maternity leave has found a new supporter. One who you might not have expected: conservative co-host of The View Megan McCain. The challenge is, as Monica Hesse notes, “how we can speed up this process so that it doesn’t require every leave-denier to personally birth a child before they also get on board.”

Historic Victory for Paid Family Leave in Colorado

November 12, 2020
While much of the post-election attention has been focused on the presidential race, there has been little said about what looks to be a historic victory for working Coloradans, who have chosen to join eight other states, including New York, and Washington D.C. in providing paid family leave for new parents as well as those dealing with a family emergency. This is the first paid family leave law to be won through a ballot initiative, rather than implemented by elected officials.

Employers Can Create the Future We Deserve, or Exacerbate Discrimination Against Parents - Especially Women

October 6, 2020
More than 865,000 women “left” the labor market in September 2020, demonstrating that the COVID pandemic is forcing women out of work. One in four women who are still in the workforce are considering downshifting their careers, or leaving the workforce entirely, due to the pressures of work and family care.Employers who are concerned about retaining their employees who are parents, especially mothers, can take some steps to ensure that parents are not forced to “choose” their families over their careers.

DOL Revises FFCRA after Southern District Invalidates Four Sections

September 18, 2020
The Department of Labor revisions to FFCRA, which went into effect on September 16, 2020, have been widely anticipated and it is hoped that they will reduce some of the issues surrounding paid leave and employees qualification for taking protected leaves.

The New Parenting

August 24, 2020
This week, we’re going to spotlight one of the hot button issues at the intersection of employment and pandemic: how parents are going to cope in a fall without schools.

Federal Family and Sick Leave for Covid-19 Expanded by New York District Court

August 14, 2020
S.D.N.Y. Judge Paul Oetken invalidated parts of the Department of Labor’s interpretation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in a lawsuit brought by New York State Attorney General Letitia James.

The Week in FFCRA Complaints

July 1, 2020
Overall, we are beginning to see some patterns in the thematic nature of the complaints. Specifically, plaintiffs seem to be those whose employment has been terminated either after expressing concerns about workplace health and safety (e.g. improper distancing, lack of PPE, and not enforcing CDC-recommended quarantine procedures) and parents whose employment has been terminated because they were unable to locate appropriate childcare or family care.

The Week in FFCRA Complaints

June 26, 2020
This is the second installment in our roundup of FFCRA complaints. As we noted in the first post, we will be keeping you up to date with all the cases and highlighting the ones that we think have special bearing on our practice, employment law in New York State, or are just particularly noteworthy.

The Week in FFCRA Complaints

June 12, 2020
As part of our ongoing coverage of how coronavirus is affecting workplace conditions and employment rights, we are providing a weekly summary of complaints filed to challenge alleged FFCRA violations.

Planning for Summer Childcare as New York Reopens 

June 9, 2020
As the remote school year comes to a close and with summer camp plans still in flux, many parents and caregivers will soon be struggling to find childcare solutions and wondering whether they can use paid leave to care for their children through the summer months, and whether they may continue to telework even if their workplace reopens.

Recording: Paid Family Leave in NY

June 8, 2020
Woven Bodies, an inclusive digital practice supporting queer folks + allies from family planning through parenthood hosted Associate Alex Berke to offer training on Paid Family Leave.

How Will New NYS and Federal Paid Sick and Family Leave Laws Interact?

March 31, 2020
With expanded Federal paid sick and family leave laws going into effect on Wednesday, April 1st, learn about what both the Federal and New York State laws offer to employees and require for employers.

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