As 2018 wraps up, it’s time to take a quick look at some of the changes New York City employers should expect in the year ahead.
Minimum Wage Increases
On December 31, 2018, New York’s minimum wage will increase as follows:
- NYC – Large Employers (of 11 or more) – $15.00/hour
- NYC – Small Employers (10 or less) – $13.50/hour
(Different minimum wage rates apply to employers outside of NYC.)
Minimum Salary Increases
Minimum salaries will also increase on December 31, 2018 for employees who otherwise meet an overtime exemption under New York State law:
- NYC – Large Employers (of 11 or more) – $1,125.00/week (or $58,500 annually)
- NYC – Small Employers (10 or less) – $1,012.50/week (or $52,650 annually)
(Different salaries apply to employers outside of NYC.)
Sexual Harassment Training
All private NYC employers with 15 or more employees must conduct annual anti-harassment training beginning April 1, 2019.
Every private employer in New York State must conduct annual anti-harassment training beginning October 9, 2019.
2018 Re-Cap
2018 flew by. Make sure you didn’t miss some of the more significant changes this past year:
- Effective January 1, 2018 – New York’s Paid Family Leave Benefits Law (PFL) went into effect. It provides New York employees with up to 12 weeks of job-protected paid family leave to bond with a new child, care for a family member with a serious health condition, or address a qualifying exigency relating to the active military duty of a spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent.
- Effective July 11, 2018 – New York employers were prohibited from including nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions in agreements that seek to settle claims relating to sexual harassment, unless it is the complaining party who seeks confidentiality and provided that the complaining party has 21 days to consider the nondisclosure provision and 7 days to revoke his/her acceptance of the nondisclosure provision.
- Effective July 11, 2018 – New York employers were prohibited from requiring mandatory arbitration for sexual harassment claims, unless such arbitration clauses are contained in collective bargaining agreements.
- Effective July 18, 2018 – A new law required NYC employers to allow employees to make two temporary scheduling changes per year for certain personal events.
- By September 6, 2018 – NYC employers were required to post and display a sexual harassment rights and responsibilities poster and provide a fact sheet to new hires.
- By October 9, 2018 – Every private employer in New York State was required to adopt a sexual harassment prevention policy that meets or exceeds certain minimum standards mandated by New York State law.
- Effective October 15, 2018 – A new law required most NYC employers to engage in a “cooperative dialogue” when an employee requests an accommodation related to his or her religious beliefs, disability, pregnancy, childbirth or related condition, or because the employee was a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking.