On-the-Job Issues explained by New York Employment Lawyer Steven Mitchell Sack
On September 6, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law that will make wage theft a crime under New York State law. Employers who intentionally deprive their employees of their hard-earned wages may now face a felony charge of criminal larceny. This is meant to curb the disturbing trend of wage theft, which has only become a greater problem over time.
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Wage theft is one of the most serious financial issues facing workers across America today, and can cost victims thousands of dollars per year. In New York alone, it is estimated that wage theft costs workers approximately $3 billion per year in lost income. But what exactly is wage theft, and how can you protect yourself against it?
Every employer has a legal responsibility to ensure the workplace is safe for their employees. However, some employers do not take this responsibility seriously, resulting in an increased risk of injury or death to employees. Here are just seven common types of unsafe working conditions you may find in your workplace:
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Employees have a legal right to strike against their employer over grievances with their workplace or their terms of employment. By striking, employees can force employers to the negotiating table for the purposes of collective bargaining, which can potentially improve their circumstances. Here are seven of the most common reasons that employees go on strike:
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In the wake of an unprecedented heat wave, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an alert to employers to watch for the dangers of extreme heat. While high temperatures can be threatening to anyone, it can be especially dangerous for certain professions, where the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are high. Employers who force employees to work in these conditions without taking appropriate precautions can place their lives at risk.
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One of the primary reasons that people will engage in labor organizing, including striking, is to help obtain better working conditions. In this way, they can make their job easier, safer, and more comfortable for themselves and everyone at their job. But what exactly does it mean to strike for better working conditions, and how can labor organizing help to achieve that?
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In a recent decision, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has changed how determinations will be made to determine whether a worker is an independent contractor or not. In previous decisions, the NLRB has said that it would prioritize the entrepreneurial opportunities of a worker to determine whether they qualify as an independent contractor. In this decision, however, they have said they will look to a wide variety of factors to determine if someone qualifies for that classification.
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The New York State Senate has voted to ban all non-compete agreements for employees in the state. The law, Bill No. S03100 would, if also approved by the New York State Assembly and signed into law, make it illegal for employers to write provisions in their contracts that would prevent employees from working with competitors in the same field or keep them from starting their own businesses. The goal of this law is to encourage competition and prevent employers from coercing their employees into working for them against their will.
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What Does It Mean To Go On Strike In America?
If you have turned on the news or looked at the front page of the paper, I am sure you have heard about the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) strike. Unions will go on strike for various reasons. The negotiation, reasons, and timing can vary, depending on the context of the terms that are being debated. With the WGA walking out on their jobs, it will affect those TV shows and films that are about to start or wrap up. You may have to wait to see what happens to your favorite characters until next fall. They definitely have the perfect timing for a strike, when so many loose ends are just about to be tied up until next season.
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The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has gone on strike in protest against low wages and poor royalties throughout the film and television industries, which they say has made it nearly impossible for writers to make a living. In particular, they complain about a lack of royalties for “new media” such as streaming shows and movies, which they say they make almost no money from. In addition, there is increased suspicion towards the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a replacement for writers and other artists, which they say may be used to devalue their work.
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