Tag: Human Rights Law

New York City Jumps on the “Salary Transparency Bandwagon”


Jason E. Reisman and Valerie D. Ringel

New York City Council passed legislation on December 15, 2021, that would require employers in NYC (who have at least four employees) to include the minimum and maximum salary range for a position in any posting/advertisement for a job, promotion, or transfer opportunity. The bill will go into effect 120 days after it becomes law, unless the new mayor, Eric Adams, vetoes it by January 14, 2022.

The bill makes it a discriminatory practice under the NYC Human Rights Law (“NYCHRL”) to fail to include such salary information in a posting/advertisement. As set forth in the text of the bill:

It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employment agency, employer, employee or agent thereof to advertise a job, promotion or transfer opportunity without stating the minimum and maximum salary for such position in such advertisement. In stating the minimum and maximum salary for a position, the range may extend from the lowest to the highest salary the employer in good faith believes at the time of the posting it would pay for the advertised job, promotion or transfer opportunity.

The bill gives the NYC Commission on Human Rights the power to issue rules to implement (and hopefully further clarify) the new law. Among the issues that need clarity are the definition of “salary” and whether the requirement applies to all jobs advertised in New York City or only for postings for jobs physically located in NYC. While the “summary” of the bill on the NYC City Council website (here) references it applying to “any position located within New York City,” NYC guidance has in the past expanded on the interpretation of the law.

New York Expands Workplace Protections for Religious Attire, Clothing, and Facial Hair

Mara B. Levin, Anthony A. Mingione, Stephen E. Tisman, and Jacob W.E. Kearney

A new amendment to the New York State Human Rights Law expressly prohibits workplace discrimination based on religious attire, clothing, and facial hair. New York employers should review their current policies and work with counsel to ensure compliance by the October 8, 2019, effective date.

Governor Cuomo recently signed legislation (S.4037/A.4204) that amends the New York State Human Rights Law to expand religious protections for employees and applicants in the workplace. The New York State Human Rights Law already prohibits employers from imposing upon employees and applicants “a condition of obtaining or retaining employment” that would require them “to violate or forego a sincerely held practice of [their] religion.” N.Y. Exec. Law § 296(10)(a). The new law ensures that those same protections now encompass an employee’s or applicant’s religious attire, clothing, and facial hair. Continue reading “New York Expands Workplace Protections for Religious Attire, Clothing, and Facial Hair”

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