Last year, Mayor de Blasio signed into effect new sick leave laws that would offer employees greater protection by expanding the previous legislation. Recently, companies such as Best Buy and FedEx have been fined for not complying with the law that went into effect last April.
The new law provided that the definitions of family members were expanded to include grandparents, grandchildren and siblings; providing immediate coverage to employees who would otherwise have been “phased in”; and removed the exemptions that applied to the manufacturing sector. 500,000 workers who did not previously have paid sick leave acquired it as a result of the new legislation.
FedEx received fines amounting to $33,600 as a result of violating the new law. An employee complaint launched an investigation that revealed workers were denied sick leave between April 1, 2014 and December 7, 2014. As a result, FedEx was required to credit sick leave to 165 employees and pay out $15,000 in restitution to another 30 employees. In addition, other employers in New York such as Best Buy, American Girl Place, Primo Cappuccino, Lismir Cards and the East Harlem Council for Human Services have all been fined for not complying with the new laws.
Many workers’ advocates celebrated the new law which prevents workers from having to choose between their jobs and their health, or the health of their family members. Low wage workers no longer need to fear being fired as a result of taking a sick day.
If you feel you have been wrongly denied sick leave, contact an experienced employment attorney who will strive to ensure that your rights are protected. Contact an experienced New York Employment Attorney who will get you the compensation you deserve. Call Steven Mitchell Sack at (917) 371-8000 or email him at sms@StevenSack.com. You can also visit his website at https://theemployeeslawyer.com/
