U.S. Department of Labor Proposes to Raise the Exempt Salary Threshold

woman working at computer

On August 30, 2023, the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced a proposed rule that would significantly increase the minimum weekly salary to qualify for the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) white collar exemptions. The minimum salary would increase from $684 per week (the annual equivalent of $35,568) to $1,059 per week (the annual […]

New York State Minimum Wage to Increase in 2024

workers at food service counter

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the New York State 2024 Budget Agreement into law, which contained increases to the State’s minimum wage rates.   Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum wage will increase incrementally over the next few years based on the region where employees work as follows: Effective Date New York […]

NYC Sets Minimum Wage for Food Delivery Workers

food delivery to a home

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (“DCWP”) announced that the City of New York has set a first-of-its-kind minimum pay rate for app-based restaurant delivery workers.  Effective July 12, 2023, the pay rate will increase from $7.09 per hour to $17.96 per hour.  The minimum […]

New York State Pay Transparency Law Amendments Signed into Law

opening a check

As we previously reported, effective September 17, 2023, employers will be subject to the New York State Pay Transparency law, pursuant to which employers who advertise a job, promotion, or transfer opportunity must include: (1) the compensation or a range of compensation for such job, promotion, or transfer opportunity; and (2) the job description for […]

New York Enacts the Warehouse Workers Protection Act

man in warehouse

Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed into law the New York Warehouse Worker Protection Act, which will protect warehouse distribution workers from undisclosed or unlawful work speed quotas and includes protections for workers who fail to meet unlawful quotas. The legislation will be effective February 19, 2023. Specifically, the Warehouse Worker Protection Act amends the New […]

Governor Hochul Vetoes New York State Freelance Isn’t Free Act

man busy at work

The New York State Legislature recently passed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (the “Act”).  If signed into law, the Act, which mirrors New York City’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act, would have provided protections to freelance workers/independent contractors. However, on December 23, 2022, Gov. Hochul vetoed Bill A9368/S8369B. The bill was modeled after the Freelance Isn’t […]

New York State Minimum Wage and Exempt Salary Threshold

handing a paycheck to a worker

The minimum wage for employees working in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties remains unchanged at $15.00 per hour. The minimum wage for fast food employees across the state also remains unchanged at $15.00 per hour. Effective Dec. 31, 2022, the minimum wage in upstate New York will increase from $13.20 to $14.20 […]

U.S. DOL Issues Proposed Rules on Classification of Independent Contractors

woman working on laptop outside

The U.S. Department of Labor (“U.S. DOL”) recently released proposed rules intended to clarify when workers are classified as employees as opposed to independent contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The proposed rules would abandon the current regulations which expanded the use of independent contractors and return to the position that the economic […]

New York Governor Hochul Signs Legislation Allowing Employees Facing Potential Layoffs to Petition Employers to Participate in a Shared Work Program

man at factory looking at tablet

Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation allowing employees facing potential layoff to petition employers to participate in a Shared Work Program. Under this amendment to the New York Labor Law, workers facing layoffs in New York State now have a right to ask their employers instead to trim all worker’s hours and have unemployment insurance […]

U.S. DOL Proposes New Tip Credit Rule

paying a restaurant bill with a credit card

On June 23, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (“U.S. DOL”) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which would impose a limit on when an employer can pay a tipped worker the “tipped minimum wage.”  The new rule would reinstate the “80/20” rule under federal law and would clarify that an employer may only take […]