A law firm and its founding partner [Respondents] were charged with violating New York City's Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (“ESSTA”) when it terminated an employee allegedly for exercising his rights under ESSTA, required him to provide details of his medical condition, and failed to maintain "sufficient written sick leave policies."
New York City's Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings [OATH] Administrative Law Judge Kevin F. Casey found that the employee’s use or attempted use of his sick time was one of the motivating factors for his firing and he did not credit the Respondent’s claim that the termination was for non-medical reasons.
Finding the firm’s founding partner and the law firm to be jointly liable for the violations, Judge Casey ordered the Respondents to pay a fine of $1,500 and $172,215.30 in relief to the former employee.
The ALJ's decision, OATH Index No. 514/19, is posted on the Internet at: