COVID-19 Blog

Workers at McDonald’s and Amazon are invoking the doctrine of public nuisance to sue their employers for what they allege are unsafe working conditions. The employees claim that their employers did not take adequate precautions to protect them, and ultimately the public with which they interact, from the risk of COVID-19 infection. This legal theory is not often used in the context of the employee/employer relationship because other mechanisms already exist to protect workers, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”). Furthermore, worker’s ...

As New York state businesses gradually reopen, the state has announced the New York Forward Loan Fund. This s a $100 million loan initiative aimed at small businesses, nonprofits and small landlords that have suffered financially due to COVID-19 closures. According to Governor Cuomo, small businesses comprise 90% of the state’s businesses, and “are facing the toughest challenges.”

To be eligible for a loan, a small business must have 20 or fewer full-time employees, have annual gross revenues of less than $3 million, have been in business for at least one year, and be located in ...