What are some employee rights in New York?

On Behalf of | May 26, 2016 | Employee Rights

Employees have rights and although you may feel as though you don’t have any rights on some days, you do have them. Some of these rights also come with things that are not rights. For example, an employer is not required to provide health insurance unless he or she says it would be provided.

What is minimum wage in New York state? The minimum wage in New York State is $9.00 an hour. Employees eligible for overtime pay will receive it at $13.50 an hour. There are a few exceptions to the minimum wage laws.

How are unpaid wages collected? The Department of Labor helps employees collect wages were not paid, withheld or subject to illegal deductions. In addition, the DoL also enforces rules that state employers cannot appropriate tips or take kickbacks from wages.

Can an employer withhold wage supplements? If an employer promises an employee wage supplements or unpaid benefits such as holiday or vacation pay, paid sick or expense reimbursement and then does not provide them, he or she is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Is an employee guaranteed a lunch break? Every employee is entitled to a minimum of a 30-minute lunch break, with exceptions. In some cases, and only after the DoL investigates, an employee may only be given a 20-minutes meal break. If an employee is the only employee, then the employee may eat while on the job.

There are many local, state and federal laws that impact employee rights. It is important that you make yourself aware of these laws and know when your rights are violated. An attorney can advise you if your employer’s actions have violated your employee rights and what options you have to correcting the issue.

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