The New York State Senate today passed legislation to enhance workplace protections and combat wage theft. The legislation includes measures to increase Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) benefits, streamline wage theft claims, hold bad actors accountable, and strengthens enforcement against exploitative practices. It also extends paid sick leave to domestic workers, protects employees from coercive severance ultimatums, and ensures fair compensation by defining bonuses and non-discretionary payments as wages. By cracking down on payroll fund misappropriation and empowering the Department of Labor to issue stop-work orders for worker misclassification, these measures take decisive action against workplace exploitation, according to the Senate Majority Conference.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “New York’s workforce is the engine that drives our economy, and they deserve fair wages, safe working conditions, and strong protections. This legislative package cracks down on bad actors who take advantage of workers with little consequence, marking another step forward in the fight against wage theft and workplace exploitation. I want to thank today’s bill sponsors for standing up for New York’s workforce and ensuring that every New Yorker is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

Senate Deputy Leader and Bill Sponsor Michael Gianaris said, “The imbalance of power in the workplace too often hurts employees who are compelled to enter agreements...

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