Arbitration Over Litigation; Why Employers Prefer It & Why You Should Be Wary
By suzen Pettit
Most employment agreements contain provisions which require all disputes arising out of your employment to be resolved through arbitration: (Arbitration: a way to resolve a dispute outside of court. It’s an alternative to litigation that’s often faster and less expensive.) Arbitration is usually found toward the end of the contract in small print using language […]
Finally! The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is Here to Help Employees
By suzen Pettit
The long-overdue federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), enacted in June 2023, requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer. These requirements are similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act and New […]
Is Your Special Needs Child’s Education Being Served by the Special Needs Laws?
By suzen Pettit
There is a federal law that protects children who have special needs in education. The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (“IDEA”) requires school districts to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities in need of special education and related services. Once a child is classified as having special needs, the district must develop […]

Employment at Will: When Is It Legal To Be Fired In NY?
There are many situations in which a termination can be unlawful, but the place you should always start is that in New York State, an employee can be fired for any reason or even for no reason. I know, this can seem like a very scary prospect. Keep in mind though, there are exceptions to […]
Are Ghost Guns Legal in New York State?
| suzen Pettit |
‘Ghost guns’ are seemingly flooding the country, being used in all sorts of horrible crimes from drug dealing to murder to robbery. The ghost gun earned its name because it bears no serial number, making it nearly impossible to trace. Typically, the ghost gun is made at home, by an amateur gunsmith, using parts purchased […]
Is the New NYC Employment Law Targeting the Use of AI in Hiring a Good Thing?
| suzen Pettit |
New York City has enacted a law to prevent discrimination against people by robots, which is to take effect Jan. 2, 2023. The City Council has enacted a law to prevent bias by “Automated Employment Decision Tools.” According to Bloomberg News: “Employers in the city will be banned from using automated employment decision tools to […]

My Take on NY State Paid COVID-19 Vaccination and Family Leave Guidelines
| suzen Pettit |
On March 12, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed into law a bill granting public and private employees paid leave in order to get a COVID-19 vaccine, specifically four hours per injection. The NY State Paid COVID-19 vaccination and family leave guidelines state that employees cannot be docked time for leaving the office to get a COVID […]
If I Were Conducting the Trump Impeachment Trial Here’s What I’d Do
| suzen Pettit |
Democrats, bless their naïve little hearts, are trying to impeach Donald Trump using only the law while staying within the bounds of fairness and what’s relevant. That is very democratic of them; that being said, if they proceed this way, my prediction is they are bound to lose and no one is going to remember […]
New York Coronavirus (COVID-19) Workplace Rights
| suzen Pettit |
The New York State legislature is considering whether to enact a new law that would nullify any employment agreement in which the employee waives his or her right to sue the employer due to negligent management of the Covid-19 pandemic. What are your New York Coronavirus (COVID-19) Workplace Rights? Enacting this law would mean that […]