Senator Ramos and the Senate Demorcatic Majority Advanced Legislation To Improve Workplace COVID-19 Safety Standards

ALBANY, NY—Senator Ramos and the Senate Democratic Majority passed major legislation to stand up for New York workers. This package enacts the “NY Hero Act” sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, which requires the creation of health and safety standards for COVID-19 and other airborne infectious diseases in the workplace guaranteeing a greater employee voice in the workplace. This package also includes legislation to encourage employer use of shared work programs to avoid layoffs and legislation to increase the amount of shared work benefits to the maximum allowed by federal law. In addition, these bills promote career paths into healthcare, permit employee time off for vaccinations to be administered, and grant an enhanced death benefit to families of deceased public employees.

State Senator Jessica Ramos issued the folowing statement on passage of the NY Hero Act:

"The Legislature is once again taking action to protect workers. The New York HERO Act codifies the way workers want to feel protected, requiring businesses to have enforceable safety statndards. Throughout this pandemic, workers across our state have had to put their live and the lives of their families at risk to keep New York running. It’s our turn to take care of them.”

The legislation passed by the Senate Majority include:

• NY Hero Act: This bill, S.1034A, sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, will implement airborne infectious disease standards requiring employers to implement an infectious disease exposure prevention plan.
• Shared Work Program Petition: This bill, S.17A, sponsored by Senator Shelley B. Mayer, will allow employees to petition their employer to apply for the shared work program in order to avoid layoffs or to rehire laid off workers.
• Vaccination Leave: This bill, S.2588A, sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes, will  grant public and private employees four hours of time off, per dose, to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
• Healthcare Employment Incentivization: This bill, S.3470, sponsored by Senator Tim Kennedy will require the New York State Department of Labor and Department of Health to establish a program to incentivize unemployed individuals to enter short-staffed jobs in healthcare by expediting training and certification.
• Shared Work Program Benefit Extension: This bill, S.4049, sponsored by Senator Jessica Ramos to increase the amount of unemployment insurance benefits an employee can claim under the shared work program to limits of the federal maximum.
• Public Employee Death Benefit: This bill, S.4681, sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes, will extend previously enacted accidental death benefits to the families of frontline workers who have passed away due to COVID-19.

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