New York Labor Law Section 191 (c) has been amended, effective October 16, 2007, to require that employers place the terms of employment for commissioned salespersons in writing. Such "terms" include a description of how salary, drawing account, wages, commissions and all other monies earned and payable are to be calculated. Likewise, the written agreement must describe how such monies are to be paid if the employment relationship is terminated by either party.

These agreements must be (1) signed by both the employer and employee, (2) kept on file by the employer for at least three years, and (3) provided to the New York State Department of Labor upon request.

New York State Executive Law (the "Human Rights Law") Section 296(16) has been amended to prohibit employers from inquiring into or making adverse employment decisions based on the criminal conviction of an applicant or current employee where (1) the conviction record has been sealed pursuant to Section 160.55 of the Criminal Procedure Law, or (2) where the conviction is classified as a "youthful offender adjudication" under Section 720.35 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Law.

New York Labor Law (Section 212-j) now requires New York employers to provide three hours leave in any twelve month period to employees who wish to donate blood. The law is applicable only if (1) the employer has more than twenty employees, and (2) the employee seeking such leave works twenty or more hours per week. The law does not require that the three hours of leave be paid.

Effective August 15, 2007, New York employers will be required to either (1) provide a reasonable amount of unpaid daily break time, or (2) permit nursing employees to use paid daily break time or meal time to express breast milk for a period of up to three years following childbirth.

Employers will also be required to make "reasonable efforts" to provide a clean, private room where nursing employees can express and store breast milk.

Currently, the last employer is required to pay 100% of unemployment insurance benefits for the first seven weeks of a former employee's claim. Effective January 1, 2009, however, the last employer of a claimant who has filed for unemployment benefits may apply to the Department of Labor to have those benefits recalculated if the employer can demonstrate that it paid the claimant less in total wages than the seven weeks of benefits it would otherwise have to pay. If such a showing can be made, the last employer would only have to pay in benefits an amount roughly equal to the amount of compensation it had paid the claimant. The remainder of the charges would be allocated proportionately among all base period employers.