Laura Fant

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As an associate in the Labor & Employment Law Department and co-chair of the Disability, Accommodations & Leave Management Practice Group, Laura Fant frequently counsels on employee leave and accommodation matters involving the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and related state and local laws. She also provides general employment counseling and has experience reviewing and updating employee handbooks and company policies, as well as providing training on topics such as discrimination and harassment in the workplace, social media, and the accommodation of physical and mental disabilities. Laura is a frequent contributor to Proskauer’s Law and the Workplace blog.

Before joining the Firm, Laura was assistant general counsel to the City of New York's Office of Labor Relations. Prior to that, she was law clerk to Judge Jose L. Fuentes of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, and a judicial intern to Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Connect: Read more about Laura Fant
Firm/Organization: Proskauer Rose LLP
Blogs: California Employment Law Update, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, Labor Relations Update, Law and the Workplace, Proskauer Whistleblower Defense

Latest Articles

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Effective October 30, 2019, Westchester County, NY employers will be required to provide paid leave to employees who are victims of domestic violence or human trafficking.  Leave under the new ordinance will be in addition to paid time off already required to be provided to employees under the Westchester County paid sick leave law, which took effect on April 10, 2019. Covered Employees and Use of Leave Under the new law, employees working…
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New Jersey will soon become the first state to require certain employers to offer employees tax-favored transportation benefits. S.B. 1567, also known as An Act Concerning Pre-Tax Transportation Fringe Benefits (the “Act”), will require New Jersey employers with 20 or more employees to offer employees the opportunity to make pre-tax elections from their gross pay to cover qualifying commuter vehicle and public transit costs. Employees will be able to use the pre-tax benefits to…
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Washington is poised to become the ninth state to pass a law that would prohibit employers from asking job applicants about their salary history. The state legislature recently passed HB 1696, which would, among other things, prohibit employers from inquiring into the prior “wage or salary history” of an applicant for employment. The bill has been sent to Governor Jay Inslee, who is expected to sign. Specifically, the bill would prohibit an employer from…
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In follow up to recent amendments to the New York City Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (“ESSTA”), the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Labor Policy and Standards (“OLPS”) has amended its official rules, several of which expand upon currently existing rules regarding ESSTA. The OLPS has also issued an updated ESSTA FAQ for use by employers, which incorporates the requirements of the amended rules. The amended rules are now in effect.…
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Westchester County, NY has become the latest jurisdiction to enact a law providing eligible employees with paid leave for their own medical needs, those of a family member, or other covered reasons. The Ordinance will take effect on March 30, 2019. Covered Employees and Accrual of Sick Leave Similar to the New York City Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (“ESSTA”), all full-time and part-time employees who work more than 80 hours per year in…
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As we have previously reported, New York State has recently enacted several significant measures regarding sexual harassment in the workplace. Effective October 9, 2018, all New York State employers are required to adopt written sexual harassment prevention policies and institute annual anti-harassment training for employees. According to the final guidance issued by the State, all New York employees must complete sexual harassment prevention training that meets or exceeds the minimum standards under the law…
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The New York City Council recently passed two bills that would amend the NYC Human Rights Law to expand the requirements of employers with four or more employees to provide lactation space for breastfeeding employees.  The bills have been sent to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is expected to sign them, for consideration.  If enacted, they will take effect 120 days after signing. The new bills would expand upon the already-existing requirements under the New…
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The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (the “Department”) has issued a mandatory employee notice regarding the NJ Earned Sick Leave Law, which goes into effect on October 29, 2018.  As we have previously reported, the Law will require employers to provide eligible employees with paid leave for their own medical needs, those of a family member, or other covered reasons. By October 29, 2018, employers will be required to “conspicuously post…
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New York City’s new law requiring employers to engage in a “cooperative dialogue” with employees requesting reasonable accommodation and provide a written determination at the end of the cooperative dialogue process takes effect on October 15, 2018. As we have previously reported, while the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) has long required that employers make reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities, pregnancy and related conditions, religious needs, and for victims of domestic…
In this episode of The Proskauer Brief, partner Evandro Gigante and associate Laura Fant discuss recent amendments to New York State law prohibiting sexual harassment.  The law will require employers to distribute policies prohibiting sexual harassment in the work place and implement annual training on sexual harassment.  These policies, which much be distributed by October 9, 2018, are required to satisfy certain minimum standards set by the new guidance.  In addition to the policy requirement,…