Labor & Employment (Labor Standards)

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 6852: Relates to minimum wage order increases

This bill requires New York State legislators to approve any new minimum wage order or modification to an existing order before it takes effect. It directly affects workers who would see wage changes delayed until legislative action, and businesses that would receive clearer timelines for potential cost impacts. Key provisions include mandating legislative authorization for wage increases, requiring the commissioner to analyze business costs using employment data, and updating processes for wage board recommendations and commissioner reviews. The bill shifts authority from the commissioner to the legislature for implementing minimum wage changes.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill mandates legislative approval for minimum wage increases, delaying worker wage hikes and restricting automatic adjustments per the commissioner's process.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 6604: Authorizes local governments to pay higher levels of minimum wage

S 6604 allows cities and towns to set minimum wage rates higher than the state minimum for private employers within their boundaries. It directly affects local governments that adopt these higher standards and the workers and businesses operating in those areas. The key provision is a non-preemption clause, which prevents state law from blocking local wage increases. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly authorizes local minimum wage increases above state level with non-preemption, directly strengthening worker pay standards and protecting local wage initiatives.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage Tags Local Government

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5567: Establishes the human services wage commission

Establishes the human services wage commission for the purpose of investigating whether the wages paid to human services workers are sufficient to provide adequate maintenance and to protect the health and welfare of employees; defines terms; provides for the duties of the commission; requires reporting.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates commission to investigate if human services wages are sufficient for adequate maintenance and health/welfare, directly advancing wage adequacy for workers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4304: Enacts the "paid sick leave act"

S 4304, the "Paid Sick Leave Act," requires all employers (including state/local governments) to provide paid sick leave to employees. Employees earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 20 hours worked, up to 80 hours annually (40 hours for small businesses with fewer than 10 employees), for their own illness, medical care, or caring for family members (including adopted/foster relatives). The law prohibits employer retaliation for using sick leave, mandates workplace posting of employee rights, and requires employers to maintain records for four years. It applies to all employees regardless of work schedule or employment status.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePaid sick leave enables healthcare access by allowing time off for illness/medical care without wage loss, improving patient access and protecting rights to seek care.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires paid sick leave for workers, protects against retaliation, and expands employee benefits - directly strengthening labor protections under employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Paid Leave

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 6938: Relates to collective bargaining rights to farm laborers, repealing certain provisions of chapter 105 of the laws of 2019 and repealing certain provisions of the labor law and the workers' compensation law

This bill repeals previous exclusions that denied farm laborers in New York State collective bargaining rights and workers' compensation coverage. It amends the Labor Law to include farm workers in the definition of "employees," allowing them to form unions and negotiate contracts like other workers. The bill also updates regulations for farm labor camps, requiring permits and setting standards for living conditions, while removing exemptions that previously kept farm employers from certain labor protections.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRepeals exclusions denying farm workers collective bargaining rights and workers' comp, including them under Labor Law as employees with union rights and updated camp safety standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 5607: Requires the department of labor to provide a document on workplace rights to any minor seeking working papers

Requires the department of labor to provide a document on workplace rights to any minor seeking working papers and to make such document available in other languages and to school officials who issue working papers.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires workplace rights document for minors seeking working papers, ensuring informed entry into workforce and protecting young workers' rights per bill's explicit language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Child Labor Labor Standards

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in committee · New York · Assembly Feb 6, 2026

A 9082: Relates to wage requirements for certain human services workers

Sets base wage requirements for certain human services workers employed in eligible state-funded programs that provide health and/or welfare assistance.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentSets base wage requirements for human services workers, directly increasing compensation standards in state-funded programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jun 13, 2025

A 7863: Enacts the remedial construction of New York labor law act

This bill directs New York courts to interpret the state's labor law "liberally" in favor of workers to achieve its protective goals, such as securing fair wages, preventing retaliation, ensuring equal pay, and protecting unemployment benefits. It specifically requires courts to apply labor law provisions broadly and interpret any exemptions or exceptions narrowly to maximize deterrence of employer violations. The law affects all workers and employers covered by New York's labor regulations by changing how courts evaluate disputes under existing labor statutes. This is a procedural directive for judicial interpretation, not a new law creating additional worker protections.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentDirects courts to interpret labor law liberally for workers, securing fair wages, preventing retaliation, and protecting benefits - clearly strengthens worker protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Employment Discrimination Gig Economy Labor Standards

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passed · New York · Senate Mar 30, 2026

S 1514: Relates to issuing stop-work orders for misclassification of employees

Empowers the commissioner of labor to issue stop-work orders against employers for misclassification of employees as independent contractors or for providing false, incomplete, or misleading information to an insurance company on the number of employees of such employer.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEmpowers labor commissioner to stop misclassification (avoiding worker benefits), directly protecting employees' rights and strengthening employment standards per bill's explicit purpose.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1436: Relates to paid sick leave provided by employers with full-time employee equivalents

S 1436 requires employers to provide paid sick leave based on business size: employers with 5-99 full-time equivalent employees must offer 40 hours of paid sick leave annually per worker, while those with 100+ employees must provide 56 hours. Smaller employers (4 or fewer full-time equivalents) generally provide unpaid sick leave unless they earned over $1 million net income last year, in which case it becomes paid. Employees accrue sick leave at a rate of one hour for every 30 regular work hours, starting from hire or the bill's effective date. The law takes effect immediately and applies to all covered employers in New York.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates paid sick leave for most employers (40-56 hours annually), expanding worker benefits and strengthening labor protections per topic description.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Paid Leave

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