The minimum wage will increase throughout New York State, except in New York City at the end of the month. The minimum wage on Long Island and Westchester will increase to $15.00 per hour, joining New York City at this rate on December 31st. In the rest of the State, the minimum wage will increase…

The Governor signed three bills into law this month designed to help applicants through the licensing process and provide a reduced penalty for certain administrative SLA violations: Temporary permit – With license applications taking six months or longer to be processed, the ability to seek a temporary permit is essential to starting a new business,…

New York’s ban on expanded polystyrene foam containers and loose fill packaging, commonly referred to as ‘packing peanuts,’ begins Jan. 1, 2022. Initially, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will focus its efforts on outreach and education to ensure a smooth transition for affected stakeholders, but expect enforcement to follow. New York’s ban prohibits…

The New York State Department of Health has provided posters that can be used to clearly communicate your policy to your customers. They have made available posters for mandatory mask policies and for mandatory vaccine policies. They’re posted here and here.

The New York State Department of Health has updated the Frequently Asked Questions: Proof of Full Vaccination or Mask Requirement for Businesses and Venues document to further clarify the requirements imposed on businesses by the State’s masking requirement. The revised FAQ document reflects new guidance prohibiting “mix and match” vaccine and mask requirements for businesses…

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a statewide mask mandate requiring maks to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement. This statewide requirement that extends to both patrons and employees of businesses and venues goes into effect on Monday, December 13th and will be re-assessed on January 15th…

Governor Kathy Hochul issued a press release announcing masks will be required to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement. This is a statewide requirement that extends to both patrons and employees of businesses and venues. The requirement will go into effect on Monday, December 13th and…

The Members of the Liquor Authority voted to end the Attorney Certification Program in February 2022. This program, implemented by former Chairman Dennis Rosen in 2009, gave applications filed by attorneys who “certified” the accuracy of the information priority in the license application process. At the start, Chairman Rosen directed that all attorney certified applications…

The campaign to eliminate the tip credit and require food service workers to be paid the full minimum wage picked up the support of New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Speaking at a One Fair Wage (OFW) event in support of eliminating the tip credit, DiNapoli threw his weight behind legislation pending in Albany as…

Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) is set to enter the New York market through a partnership with Opici Family Distributing. RNDC is the second largest wine & spirits wholesaler in the country overall, with projected 2021 revenue of $12.5 billion. The New York market is currently dominated by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Empire…

Shayla Colon, Albany Times Union November 9, 2021   Employees who had to endure the painstaking process of filing a complaint to raise concerns about safety and health in the workplace now have a different avenue to bring up such issues. The New York Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO Act) gave workers at companies…

Governor Hochul’s Labor Department announced at the end of last month that it has determined that the upstate minimum wage for general occupations should rise 70 cents on December 31, 2021, to a new rate of $13.20 an hour. That is consistent with the increases each of the last six years. The upstate minimum has…