By Robert S. Whitman and Amanda Williams

Seyfarth Synopsis: The New York Commissioner of Health has declined to extend the designation of COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease under the NY HERO Act. Employers are no longer required to activate their safety plans.

As previously reported (most recently here), the New York State Commissioner of Health, on September
Continue Reading NY HERO Act Update: COVID-19 Designation Expires

By Daniel I.Small and Robert S.Whitman

Seyfarth Synopsis: This week, Governor Hochul announced that she will lift the mask-or-vaccinate mandate for nearly all public places of business on February 10, 2022.  The New York Department of Labor has now revised its model safety plan under the HERO Act to eliminate the mask requirement in most settings.  Other HERO Act
Continue Reading UPDATED: New York Lifts Mask-or-Vax Mandate and HERO Act Masking Requirement

By Scott Hecker 

On April 26, 2021, OSHA referred its COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (“ETS”) to the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (“OIRA”).  OIRA reviews agency standards to facilitate finalization and publication.

With President Biden’s March 15 deadline for OSHA to issue a COVID-19 ETS more than a month in the past, even those who anticipated a


Continue Reading The White House Begins Its Review of OSHA’s Belated COVID-19 ETS, But is the Standard Needed?

By Robert S.  Whitman and Daniel I. Small

Seyfarth Synopsis: The New York State Legislature is keeping busy with new employment legislation as the local and national economies continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 21, 2021, both houses of the Legislature announced passage of portions of the NY Hero Act, which requires extensive new workplace health and
Continue Reading New York State Enacts Worker Safety Legislation and Considers Other Employee Friendly Bills