“This bill seeks to protect workers from corporations and their agents that fail to comply with safety protocols by amending the penal code to create new offenses and substantially increasing the fines that can be imposed upon a corporate defendant convicted of certain crimes.”[1] The bill has not yet been signed by Governor Hochul.
On May 5, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed legislation requiring New York employers to have a plan to prevent exposure to airborne infectious disease in the workplace and providing for the creation of joint labor-management committees to address workplace safety. Sections 218-B and 27-D of the New York Labor Law were enacted pursuant to the new
New York State Labor Law § 27-C (“Emergency Preparedness Law”) required that by April 1st all public employers adopt operational plans for public health emergencies (the “Emergency Operations Plans”) to adequately protect workers in the event of another state disaster emergency involving a communicable disease. Public employers that have not yet adopted an Emergency
Employers have a duty to provide employees with a workplace that is free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Given the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), what should New York employers do to fulfill this duty while balancing legitimate business needs? And, what legal pitfalls must