NY Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act

NY Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act

On May 5, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act HR1480) into law. The law mandates extensive new workplace health and safety protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the NY HERO Act is to protect employees against exposure and disease during a future airborne infectious disease outbreak.

Under this new law, the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL), in consultation with the NYS Department of Health, has developed a new Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Standard, a Model Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan, and various industry-specific model plans for the prevention of airborne infectious disease. Employers must establish a plan that meets or exceeds the standard’s minimum requirements by August 5, 2021.

The airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plans must go into effect when an airborne infectious disease is designated by the New York State Commissioner of Health as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health.

Penalties range from $50/day to $20,000.
 
Contact Stephanie Horn, SPHR, SHRM-SCP at Synergy Professional HR Consulting, Inc.
631.498.8600

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