Protecting New York’s Workers - Executive Summary
Publications
New Yorks workers are increasingly facing violations of their most basic rights to a minimum wage and overtime. Across the state, wage-and-hour violations are becoming standard practice in many industries ranging from construction, agriculture, and industrial laundries to home health care, restaurants, grocery stores, and building services. Unscrupulous employers know there is a minimal risk of being caught, and even if caught, they are unlikely to face significant penalties.
State government must be an active partner in the solution. The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) is the state agency primarily charged with enforcing minimum wage and overtime laws. But while New Yorks economy has changed, the NYSDOLs strategies and resources have failed to keep pace. Today, the agency faces a daunting backlog of complaints. At the same time, employment relationships have gotten more complex, and the workforce has become more diverse.
We propose six recommendations to improve enforcement of New Yorks workplace standards. We focus on concrete, realistic administrative reforms that the NYSDOL can immediately implement within its existing legal authority. Many of these reforms are motivated by model practices from other states or the federal government. They are supported by a diverse coalition of community groups, legal advocates, service providers, and unions all of whom have a shared interest in ensuring that employers follow the law for the good of our workers, our communities, and our economy.