Marc A. Mandelman, a Member of the Firm in the Labor and Employment practice, in the firm’s New York office, was quoted by Corporate Counsel, in “Growing Trend Toward Paid Sick Leave Comes to NYC,” by Rebekah Mintzer.
Following is an excerpt:
Mandelman pointed out that determining what is the right amount of time off for workers and compensating them properly won’t be the only challenge under the law. Employers will need to follow the law’s direction on sick-time carryover and accrual of sick time, in addition to rules about issuing notices of rights. And the risks of noncompliance with the ESTA are substantial, as employees who think they’ve been wronged under the law have a full two years under the statute of limitations to take legal action against their employer.
So, how can businesses in New York City prepare for the new law? Mandelman said it’s important that employers in the five boroughs review existing leave policies and practices, consulting with an attorney if necessary to make the proper adjustments. He explained that complying may pose challenges for many employers that don’t have tracking systems for different classes of employee or give their employees a general block of paid time off (PTO) to be used at will for religious holidays, illness, vacation or personal days, but now need to isolate sick days. “They’re going to have to adapt their practices and systems to handle that,” he said.
