Labor & Employment (Public Employees)

Provides that a state employee whose position is eliminated for certain reasons and who is subsequently transferred to a different agency be entitled to the same hourly salary, retain all accrued sick leave, retain, cash out or use all accrued vacation time, and be paid relocation expenses.

This bill allows public employees in New York (including state, county, school district, and retirement system workers) to use accrued sick, vacation, or personal time during waiting periods for workers' compensation benefits or when their claim is disputed. Employers cannot force employees to use this time during such periods, and if an employee later qualifies for benefits, they get their used time fully restored. The law does not apply to employees covered by collective bargaining agreements unless their union specifically opts in to these provisions. It preserves existing collective bargaining rights while ensuring employees don't lose accrued time during workers' comp processing delays.

This bill (A 2696) requires state and municipal governments to pay all public employees the minimum wage, eliminating previous exemptions. It amends the labor law to explicitly include "state or local government" as an employer under minimum wage rules, removing exceptions that previously allowed lower pay for workers in public institutions (like schools or government offices). The change directly affects public employees at all levels of government who were previously excluded from minimum wage protections under certain exemptions. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.