Important changes to New York wage and hour law take effect today and in 2015.
- Minimum Wage: Today, the New York State Minimum Wage increases to $8.75, which is substantially higher than the current $7.25 minimum wage under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. New York employers are required to comply with the higher minimum wage rate under New York law. Since 2011, the New York minimum wage has increased twice. On December 31, 2013, the New York minimum hourly wage increased from $7.25 to $8.00. The New York minimum wage is set to increase again on December 31, 2015 to $9.00 per hour. Despite the increase of the basic minimum hourly wage, New York has not increased the minimum wage for Food Service Workers. The New York minimum wage for Food Service Workers will remain at $5.00 per hour, provided that the worker earns at least $3.75 in hour on tips.
- Notice of Pay Rate: The New York Wage Theft Prevention Act took effect on April 9, 2011. The Act required New York employers to provide written notice of wage rates to each new hire. In addition, employers were required to provide employees with written notification of their pay and related information annually prior to February 1 of each year. On December 29, 2014, Governor Cuomo eliminated the required annual notification. Consequently, the Department of Labor will not require employers to provide annual statements in 2015. However, employers are still required to notify employees of their pay rate at the time of hire.
If you have any questions regarding these or other wage and hour issues, please contact Salvatore Gangemi.