New York City Requires Posting of Workers’ Bill of Rights

On December 4, 2023, New York City enacted a new law requiring employers to distribute and post a notice informing workers of their rights under federal, state, and local laws. The text of the “Workers’ Bill of Rights” notice will be created by the city no later than March 1, 2024. Employers must then post the notice in the workplace and distribute a copy to current employees by July 1, 2024.

What Information Is in the Workers’ Bill of Rights?

The Workers’ Bill of Rights is not yet available. The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs and Worker Protection (DCWP), in coordination with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), the New York City Commission on Human Rights, and community and labor groups will create the notice and publish it on the city’s website by March 1, 2024.

The notice is expected to identify relevant federal, state, and local labor laws that apply to employees, prospective employees, or independent contractors in the city and explain which rights apply to workers regardless of immigration status. In addition, the notice will provide information on employee rights to form a union.

When Do Employers Have to Distribute the Notice to Employees?

Employers must provide a copy of the notice to all employees by July 1, 2024. Thereafter, new employees must be given the notice on or before their first day of work. The law does not appear to require that employers distribute the notice to independent contractors.

Where Do Employers Have to Post the Notice?

The notice must be conspicuously posted at the employer’s place of business and online if such online systems are regularly used to communicate with employees. 

Are There Other Requirements of the Law?

The notice must be posted/distributed in English and “any language spoken as a primary language by at least five percent of the employees employed [by] an employer.”

What Are the Penalties for Violating the Law?

Employers that fail to comply with the law will have 30 days to cure the first violation. Thereafter, there is a $500 civil penalty.

Please feel free to reach out to any of our employment attorneys if you have any questions or would like our assistance in complying with New York City’s new law addressing a Workers’ Bill of Rights.

NOTICE: Material provided on this website has been prepared by Kauff McGuire & Margolis LLP solely for general informational purposes, and it is not intended to and does not constitute legal advice. Material provided on the website is not privileged and does not create an attorney-client relationship with the Firm or any of its lawyers.