This bill creates up to 1,700 noncompetitive employment positions in school districts for people with developmental disabilities, including those with Down syndrome, autism, or cerebral palsy, who are certified as qualified by health services. School districts must classify these roles separately, allowing hiring without standard competitive exams, but employees must be certified as having a developmental disability. It ensures these workers have equal access to promotional exams compared to competitive class employees. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.
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People with Disabilities
This bill requires employers with 20 or more full-time permanent employees to create a written workplace violence prevention program. The program must include specific measures to address risks like abusive conduct and bullying, such as conflict resolution training and clear reporting systems. Employers must provide annual training to all employees on identifying, reporting, and preventing workplace bullying and abusive conduct, including how to use safety procedures and access the prevention program. It directly affects covered employers across New York State and applies to all workplace settings where such risks exist. The law mandates these changes to reduce incidents of workplace violence and improve employee safety.
Requires that an organization applying for grant funding shall provide to arts agencies a certification that it will enter into a labor peace agreement with at least one bona fide labor organization either where such bona fide labor organization is actively representing employees providing services covered by the organization seeking such grant funding or upon notice by a bona fide labor organization that is attempting to represent employees who will provide services to the organization seeking such grant funding; relates to prevailing wage requirements for not-for-profit theaters and payment of their employees on productions funded by the New York state council on the arts or arts agencies of localities.
Provides affordable and accessible dependent care options for working families by including qualified in-home and backup care expenditures paid or incurred with respect to the taxpayer's employees working in the state in the employer- provided child care credit criteria; makes technical corrections to make such credit independent of the federal employer-provided child care credit.
Requires that notice of initial determinations for unemployment benefits be provided to claimants within 30 days of such claimant furnishing all necessary documentation, and if the commissioner is unable to issue a determination within such time frame they shall inform the claimant of the new estimated time frame for the issuance of a determination.
This bill requires employers to engage in a good-faith, written or oral dialogue with employees who request accommodations for religious practices (e.g., time off for worship, religious attire). It prohibits employers from refusing such accommodations without first attempting to find a solution through this dialogue and proving the accommodation would cause "undue hardship" (significant cost or disruption to operations). Employees will not receive premium pay or benefits for work during hours accommodated for religious needs. The law applies broadly to most employers, with limited exceptions for industries where uniform attendance is essential to avoid economic hardship.
This bill allows New York City to partner with labor unions representing city employees to finance affordable housing exclusively for those workers. It requires housing units to be occupied by city employees earning under 125% of the area median income and residing in the unit more than half the year. Leases must be renewed only if occupants continue meeting these income and residency criteria. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.
This bill gradually reduces the standard workweek from 38 hours to 32 hours over three years. It directly affects all employees covered by state labor law, phasing in the change as follows: 36 hours in year one, 34 hours in year two, and 32 hours in year three. The bill amends overtime rules to require pay at 1.5x for hours over 8 in a day, and 2x for hours over 12. It does not change existing overtime thresholds but adjusts the baseline workweek definition over time. The law takes effect immediately for the first reduction, with subsequent changes phased in annually.
Prohibits employers from using the federal electronic employment verification system to check the employment authorization status of an existing employee or an applicant who has not been offered employment and prohibits municipalities from requiring employers to use the federal electronic employment verification system.
S 1018 requires school districts in cities with at least one million residents (like New York City) to include specific worker protections in all contracts for transporting K-12 students. The bill mandates that these contracts must preserve wages, health benefits, retirement plans, seniority, and hiring preferences for school bus workers who were employed as of June 30, 2023, and became unemployed due to contract loss or service reductions. It applies directly to contractors and subcontractors providing school bus services, ensuring continuity of employment terms for affected workers. The law does not change existing bidding requirements for contracts but adds these labor protections as a condition for contract approval. This bill affects school districts, transportation contractors, and approximately 100,000 school bus workers in large urban areas.
