N.Y. Lab. Law § 195

Current through 2024 NY Law Chapters 1-49 and 61-105
Section 195 - Notice and record-keeping requirements

Every employer shall:

1.
(a) provide his or her employees, in writing in English and in the language identified by each employee as the primary language of such employee, at the time of hiring, a notice containing the following information: the rate or rates of pay and basis thereof, whether paid by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or other; allowances, if any, claimed as part of the minimum wage, including tip, meal, or lodging allowances; the benefit portion of the minimum rate of home care aide total compensation as defined in section thirty-six hundred fourteen-c of the public health law ("home care aide benefits"), if applicable; prevailing wage supplements, if any, claimed as part of any prevailing wage or similar requirement pursuant to article eight of this chapter; the regular pay day designated by the employer in accordance with section one hundred ninety-one of this article; the name of the employer; any "doing business as" names used by the employer; the physical address of the employer's main office or principal place of business, and a mailing address if different; the telephone number of the employer; plus such other information as the commissioner deems material and necessary. Where such prevailing wage supplements are claimed, or such home care aide benefits are provided, the notice shall identify, for each type of supplement claimed or each type of home care aide benefits provided:
(i) the hourly rate claimed;
(ii) the type of supplement or type of home care aide benefits, including when applicable, but not limited to, pension or healthcare;
(iii) the names and addresses of the person or entity providing such supplement or such home care aide benefits; and
(iv) the agreement, if any, requiring or providing for such supplement or such home care aide benefits, together with information on how copies of such agreements or summaries thereof may be obtained by an employee. Each time the employer provides such notice to an employee, the employer shall obtain from the employee a signed and dated written acknowledgement, in English and in the primary language of the employee, of receipt of this notice, which the employer shall preserve and maintain for six years. Such acknowledgement shall include an affirmation by the employee that the employee accurately identified his or her primary language to the employer, and that the notice provided by the employer to such employee pursuant to this subdivision was in the language so identified or otherwise complied with paragraph (c) of this subdivision, and shall conform to any additional requirements established by the commissioner with regard to content and form. For all employees who are not exempt from overtime compensation as established in the commissioner's minimum wage orders or otherwise provided by New York state law or regulation, the notice must state the regular hourly rate and overtime rate of pay;
(b) The commissioner shall prepare templates that comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subdivision. Each such template shall be dual-language, including English and one additional language. The commissioner shall determine, in his or her discretion, which languages to provide in addition to English, based on the size of the New York state population that speaks each language and any other factor that the commissioner shall deem relevant. All such templates shall be made available to employers in such manner as determined by the commissioner;
(c) When an employee identifies as his or her primary language a language for which a template is not available from the commissioner, the employer shall comply with this subdivision by providing that employee an English-language notice or acknowledgment;
(d) An employer shall not be penalized for errors or omissions in the non-English portions of any notice provided by the commissioner;
(e) The commissioner shall have discretion to waive or alter requirements of paragraph (a) of this subdivision for temporary help firms as defined in section nine hundred sixteen of this chapter.
2. notify his or her employees in writing of any changes to the information set forth in subdivision one of this section, at least seven calendar days prior to the time of such changes, unless such changes are reflected on the wage statement furnished in accordance with subdivision three of this section;
3. furnish each employee with a statement with every payment of wages, listing the following: the dates of work covered by that payment of wages; name of employee; name of employer; address and phone number of employer; rate or rates of pay and basis thereof, whether paid by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or other; gross wages; deductions; allowances, if any, claimed as part of the minimum wage; the benefit portion of the minimum rate of home care aide total compensation as defined in section thirty-six hundred fourteen-c of the public health law ("home care aide benefits"), if applicable; prevailing wage supplements, if any, claimed as part of any prevailing wage or similar requirement pursuant to article eight of this chapter; and net wages. Where such prevailing wage supplements are claimed, or such home care aide benefits are provided, the statement shall either:
(i) identify the type of each supplement claimed, or the type of each home care aide benefits provided, and the hourly rate for each; or
(ii) be accompanied by a copy of the applicable notice required under subdivisions one and two of this section. For all employees who are not exempt from overtime compensation as established in the commissioner's minimum wage orders or otherwise provided by New York state law or regulation, the statement shall include the regular hourly rate or rates of pay; the overtime rate or rates of pay; the number of regular hours worked, and the number of overtime hours worked. For all employees paid a piece rate, the statement shall include the applicable piece rate or rates of pay and number of pieces completed at each piece rate. Upon the request of an employee, an employer shall furnish an explanation in writing of how such wages were computed;
3-a. in addition, every railroad corporation shall furnish each employee with a statement with every payment of wages listing accrued total earnings and taxes to date and further furnish said employee at the same time with a separate listing of his daily wages and how they were computed;
4. establish, maintain and preserve for not less than six years contemporaneous, true, and accurate payroll records showing for each week worked the hours worked; the rate or rates of pay and basis thereof, whether paid by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or other; gross wages; deductions; allowances, if any, claimed as part of the minimum wage; amount of sick leave provided to each employee; the benefit portion of the minimum rate of home care aide total compensation as defined in section thirty-six hundred fourteen-c of the public health law ("home care aide benefits"), if applicable; prevailing wage supplements, if any, claimed as part of any prevailing wage or similar requirement pursuant to article eight of this chapter; and net wages for each employee. Where such prevailing wage supplements are claimed, or such home care aide benefits are provided, the payroll records shall include copies of all notices required by subdivisions one and two of this section. For all employees who are not exempt from overtime compensation as established in the commissioner's minimum wage orders or otherwise provided by New York state law or regulation, the payroll records shall include the regular hourly rate or rates of pay, the overtime rate or rates of pay, the number of regular hours worked, and the number of overtime hours worked. For all employees paid a piece rate, the payroll records shall include the applicable piece rate or rates of pay and number of pieces completed at each piece rate;
5. notify his employees in writing or by publicly posting the employer's policy on sick leave, vacation, personal leave, holidays and hours.
6. notify any employee terminated from employment, in writing, of the exact date of such termination as well as the exact date of cancellation of employee benefits connected with such termination. In no case shall notice of such termination be provided more than five working days after the date of such termination. Failure to notify an employee of cancellation of accident or health insurance subjects an employer to an additional penalty pursuant to section two hundred seventeen of this chapter.

N.Y. Lab. Law § 195

Amended by New York Laws 2020, ch. 86,Sec. 1, eff. 6/23/2020.
Amended by New York Laws 2020, ch. 56,Sec. OO-2, eff. 10/1/2020.
Amended by New York Laws 2020, ch. 56,Sec. J-2, eff. 9/30/2020.
Amended by New York Laws 2015, ch. 2,Sec. 8, eff. 2/23/2015.
Amended by New York Laws 2014, ch. 537,Sec. 1, eff. 12/29/2014.