New York State boasts some of the most robust employment laws in the nation. New York employment laws are also constantly changing.
Workers should familiarize themselves with New York employment law changes coming in 2024. Understanding your rights is key to understanding when someone has violated them.
Minimum Wage Increases
The minimum wage is set to increase to $15/hour throughout most of New York State this year. In NYC, Westchester, and Long Island, the minimum wage will increase to $16/hour.
Proposed regulations may also increase the “tip credits” food service workers receive. These new regulations would result in the following:
- Minimum hourly pay for food service workers throughout most of New York State would be $10.00 cash wage and a $5.00 tip credit/hour
- Minimum hourly pay for food service workers in Westchester, NYC, and Long Island would be $10.65 cash wage and $5.35 tip credit/hour
Social Media
New York employment laws are also is also this year to ensure employers can’t take unreasonable steps when requesting social media information from candidates and workers. Specifically, the new changes to the law will prohibit employers from:
- Requesting or coercing an employee or candidate to reveal any social media authentication information (such as their passwords or even their usernames)
- Requiring or coercing an employee or candidate to access their social media account while an employer is present
- Requiring or coercing an employee or candidate to reproduce (such as by printing out) any content from their personal social media accounts
Updates to New York City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA)
The Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) is a New York employment law that strictly applies in NYC. Because the law is relatively new, it’s possible a version of it will eventually apply throughout the state.
The ESSTA essentially requires certain employers to provide certain employees with safe sick time for the purposes of caring for themselves or their families. The law’s provisions regarding how workers earn this sick time are too nuanced to cover in a single blog entry. In addition, workers should research 2024 updates to the law to more thoroughly understand how said updates may affect them.
Generally, though, changes to this NYC employment law include:
- When determining whether an employer’s size subjects said employer to the terms of the ESSTA, the law will account for all an employer’s workers (not just New York-based employees)
- Clarification that the law applies to workers who primarily work in NYC as well as those who are likely to work in NYC regularly throughout a calendar year
- Specification that employers may require documentation when employees take three or more consecutive sick days
Those are just some of the changes to be aware of. Again, if you work in NYC, you may want to research this topic in greater detail to ensure you know how the law affects you.
Get Help From an Employment Law Attorney
New York employment laws may be very worker-friendly. However, that doesn’t mean employers never violate them. Violations may occur when employers don’t account for changes to the relevant laws.
Do you think an employer has violated your rights in some capacity? If so, consider speaking with a New York employment law attorney to discuss your legal options. Get started by taking the Free Case Evaluation today to get connected with an independent lawyer who subscribes to this website and may be able to help with your case.
Sources:
https://dol.ny.gov/minimum-wage-0
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S2518/amendment/A
https://www.cooley.com/news/insight/2023/2023-11-27-new-york-employers-facing-new-employment-laws
