Employment & Labor

On December 19, 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation (Senate Bill S8338) that amended the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) to expressly recognize disparate impact as a basis for employment discrimination claims. Under the amended NYSHRL, a discriminatory practice may be established by a “practice’s discriminatory effect, even if such a practice was

In January 2026, employer layoff plans hit their highest January total since the tail end of the 2008 global financial crisis, according to the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. United States employers announced 108,435 layoffs for January 2026, up 118% from January 2025. Whatever unpredictable factors—including continued economic uncertainties, the rise of