At a Glance

• NY Governor Hochul has signed a chapter amendment to the Trapped at Work Act, a law that broadly prohibits use of promissory notes that require workers to repay amounts to employers if they leave their jobs before staying a minimum specified period.
• The amendment makes an important change to the Act’s effective date – delaying it for a year.
• The amendment also broadens its scope in some regards and limits its scope in others by creating new exceptions.

On February 13, 2026, Governor Hochul signed the chapter amendment to the Trapped at Work Act, expanding the scope of the Act while setting forth new exceptions. As we reported previously, in 2025 the legislature passed the Trapped at Work Act and the governor signed it on December 19, 2025, with an approval message calling for clarifying amendments—particularly around the permissibility of voluntary tuition assistance. The newly signed chapter amendment implements those changes.

Scope of Coverage

The amendment limits the Act’s coverage to employees, replacing the earlier, broader “worker” definition, and aligns the definitions of “employee” and “employer” with the use of these terms in labor law. It clarifies that a covered “employment promissory note” includes any instrument, agreement, or contract provision that requires an employee to pay the employer if the employee’s employment relationship with a specific employer terminates before a stated period. The core rule remains: Employers may not require, as a...

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