New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has recently signed the 2016-2017 state budget, adopting a minimum wage rate increase to $15.00 per hour over the next few years and a paid family leave policy.
Minimum Wage
Employers in the state of New York should be prepared to increase their employees’ minimum wage rate starting this December. Depending on where the employer is located and how many employees they have, the minimum wage rate will increase in annual increments until it reaches $15.00 per hour. Under the law, New York was divided into the following three areas:
New York City. For workers in New York City employed by small businesses (10 or less employees), the minimum wage will increase to:
$10.50 per hour on and after December 31, 2016
$12.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2017
$13.50 per hour on and after December 31, 2018
$15.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2019
Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties. For workers in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, the minimum wage would increase to:
$10.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2016
$11.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2017
$12.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2018
$13.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2019
$14.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2020
$15.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2021
Rest of state. For workers in the rest of the state, the minimum wage will increase to:
$9.70 per hour on and after December 31, 2016
$10.40 per hour on and after December 31, 2017
$11.10 per hour on and after December 31, 2018
$11.80 per hour on and after December 31, 2019
$12.50 per hour on and after December 31, 2020
After December 31, 2020, the minimum wage will continue to increase on an indexed schedule. The economy of all areas listed above will also be reviewed after 2019 to determine whether a temporary suspension of the scheduled increases is necessary.
Paid Family Leave
The signed 2016-2017 budget also includes a 12-week paid family leave when caring for an infant, a family member with a serious health condition, or to address family needs due to the active military duty of a close family member. To be eligible, workers must have worked 26 or more consecutive weeks for a covered employer. If the need for leave is foreseeable, employees must provide a 30 day notice to their employer, or as soon as possible. Employers may offer an employee to use accrued but unused vacation time or other personal time.
Compliance Poster Company will continue to monitor New York’s legislation for new updates, stay tuned!