On October 26, 2015, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed State Assembly bill A07594, extending the expiration period of 2012 amendments to New York Labor Law §193, which had permitted employers to make deductions from employee wages in circumstances otherwise deemed impermissible by the New York State Department of Labor. Under this bill, the expiration period is extended from three years after the date that the amendments went into effect, which would be November 6, 2015, to six years after the...

On October 28, 2015, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) published revised proposed regulations modifying its draft regulations (which were initially published on May 27, 2015) governing permissible methods of wage payment, including the use of payroll debit cards (also referred to as paycards). While the focus of the revised proposed regulations is on an employer’s use of payroll debit cards, they also codify guidance provided by the NYSDOL in the agency’s opinion letter pertaining to paychecks. The revised proposed...

As we previously reported in July and June, New York City recently passed the Fair Chance Act (FCA), which becomes effective onTuesday, October 27, 2015, and is applicable to criminal background checks. Among other requirements, the FCA prohibits employers from inquiring about or making statements concerning criminal history, prior to a conditional offer of employment, including the following: asking an applicant* questions about his or her criminal record; searching public records on an applicant’s* criminal record; having an applicant* complete background check disclosure and authorization forms;...