Practice Areas

Kristine Sova provides an array of labor and employment legal services in a variety of industries across both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Her labor and employment legal services are listed below. Click any section to read more.

The Who, What, When and How of Sexual Harassment Training in New York and NYC

Much has been written about the sexual harassment training now required for New York and NYC employers as a result of the #MeToo movement. The requirements, however, differ slightly for each jurisdiction.  Here is a cheat sheet to the Who, What, When and How of the requirements under both laws. Who? All employees must be … Read more

2019: A Quick Look at the Year Ahead for NYC Employers

As 2018 wraps up, it’s time to take a quick look at some of the changes New York City employers should expect in the year ahead. Minimum Wage Increases On December 31, 2018, New York’s minimum wage will increase as follows: NYC – Large Employers (of 11 or more) – $15.00/hour NYC – Small Employers … Read more

By October 9, New York State Employers Must Revise Their Sexual Harassment Policies

By October 9, every employer in New York State is required to adopt a sexual harassment prevention policy that meets or exceeds certain minimum standards. Specifically, the policy must: prohibit sexual harassment consistent with guidance issued by the New York State Department of Labor in consultation with the New York State Division of Human Rights; … Read more

NYC Employers Must Post Sexual Harassment Poster and Provide Fact Sheet to New Hires by September 6

Earlier this year, the Stop Sexual Harassment in New York City Act went into effect. One of the law’s requirements is that NYC employers must post and display a sexual harassment rights and responsibilities poster and provide a fact sheet to new hires by September 6, 2018. This month, the New York City Commission on … Read more

New York Employers Must Conduct Sexual Harassment Training On or Before October 9

(Update: New York employers now have until January 1, 2019 to conduct sexual harassment training.) A new law requires all New York employers to conduct mandatory sexual harassment training beginning October 9, 2018. The law requires employers to provide sexual harassment training every year. At a minimum, the training program must: Be interactive Explain what … Read more

EEOC Task Force Identifies Key Components of Effective Harassment Reporting Systems and Investigations

In June 2016, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released an 88-page report on harassment in the workplace.  The report (available here) calls for “a reboot of workplace harassment prevention efforts” in light of the fact that one-third of the approximately 90,000 charges of discrimination received by the EEOC in fiscal year 2015 included an … Read more

Investigations and the Faragher-Ellerth Affirmative Defense

Although laws like Title VII seek to make persons whole for injuries suffered on account of unlawful harassment, its primary objective is not to provide redress, but to avoid harm.  This means that the law gives employers many opportunities to avoid liability for the harassing conduct of their employees and supervisors, most significantly, when employers … Read more

Which EEO Laws Apply to Your Business?

Not all employers are covered by all of the various labor and employment laws that exist. It is important to know which laws apply to which company or organization, because coverage imposes important obligations on employers. Here are the most common federal, New York state, and NYC equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws, along with a brief … Read more

How Employers Should Handle Workplace Romances

With Valentine’s Day approaching, and workplace romance as pervasive as ever, what better topic for this week’s post than options for employers seeking to handle workplace romances between employees. The Bad and the Ugly of Workplace Romance When a workplace romance ends, it can have all kinds of repercussions, regardless of whether it ends on … Read more

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