In late 2020, COVID-19 vaccines began rolling out to the public. Some individuals could not roll up their sleeves quick enough to get the vaccine. Others, however, are reluctant to receive the vaccine for any number of reasons. With the vaccine now widely available, businesses, schools, and other public places…
Articles Posted in Employment Discrimination
Firm’s Religious Discrimination Case to Proceed to Administrative Trial
On March 26, 2021, the New York State Division of Human Rights issued a determination of Probable Cause in a firm’s religious discrimination case. Today’s Long Island employment law blog discusses the case and what happens next. The following is taken from the New York State Division of Human Right’s…
Judge Rules Firm’s Case Against Long Island Fire Department Can Proceed
In November 2020, the Long Island employment law firm Famighetti & Weinick PLLC filed a federal lawsuit against a Long Island volunteer fire department on behalf of a female volunteer firefighter. The lawsuit alleged that the department discriminated against the firefighter based on her sex, then retaliated against her when…
Do Covid Vaccinations Implicate Employment Law Concerns?
On December 14, 2020, the country’s wait for a COVID-19 vaccination came to an end as the first vaccines began to be administered to America’s health care workers. Like many measures taken to combat the virus, the vaccine is not without controversy. According to one recent survey, nearly one quarter…
Firm Obtains Favorable Decision in Medical Marijuana Case
As states across the country, including New York, make the medical use of marijuana legal, new issues are arising in the context of employment. For example, how will employers which require drug testing, respond to the changes in the law and how they will handle employees who are lawfully taking…
Jury Instructions and Damages in City Discrimination Claims
A jury verdict is often the goal of parties involved in an employment discrimination court case. But, many times, a jury verdict is not the end of the litigation. Indeed, a party unhappy with the outcome may appeal to an appellate court. This is what happened after Effat Emamian won…
First Amendment Bars Some Employment Discrimination Claims
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of religion. On the other hand, the First Amendment prohibits Congress from enacting laws which interfere with how churches govern themselves. When a church makes an employment decision based on religion which…
Government Updates Guidance for Employers During Coronavirus Pandemic
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has been issuing guidance for employers about how federal discrimination laws relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, disability discrimination laws cross paths with employers’ efforts to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace. Today’s Long Island employment law blog discusses some of…
Sexual Orientation and Transgender Status Discrimination Now Unlawful Under Federal Law
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination. Title VII, however, prohibits only the types of discrimination identified in the statute, including race discrimination, religious discrimination, national origin discrimination, and sex discrimination. Title VII does not explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and transgender status.…
Lack of Immunity to Covid-19 May be a Disability under the ADA
With covid-19 not giving up, employment lawyers across the country, including our Long Island employment lawyers at Famighetti & Weinick PLLC, are facing questions about how the new pandemic will affect essential workers and non-essential workers who go back to work as the country adjusts to “the new normal” and…