Dealing with employee compensation in the aftermath of Sandy
Superstorm Sandy has devastated many parts of the Eastern Seaboard in general, and has caused immense destruction to the Rockways and Coney Island in particular. Lives have been lost, property has been destroyed and many businesses have been forced to remain closed as communities try to recover. As many struggle to attain habitable conditions, employees and employers are faced with major questions surrounding financial and compensation issues.
In advance of Sandy, Mayor Bloomberg and MTA Commissioner Joseph Lhota, shut down the 24-hour subway and bus service that many New Yorkers rely on for transportation. Sandy left flooded subway tunnels and downed power lines in her wake.
Unable to reach their place of employment, either because they were displaced by the storm or due to a lack of access to transportation, many New York employees have missed days — in some cases weeks — of work. The looming question for these employees is: Can I get paid for these missed days and if so, when?
Sharon Stiller, a partner at Abrams Fensterman, a law firm with offices at MetroTech and in East Flatbush, said in diasters “the first thing to do is survive … then you deal with making sure employees and employers have adequate resources.” Employers are now beginning to discern how to pay employees for the downtime incurred during Sandy.