New York has comprehensive labor protections including regional minimum wages, unique "spread of hours" requirements, specific meal break rules, paid sick leave, and NYC's Fair Workweek predictive scheduling laws.
Important: New York's "spread of hours" provision is unique - employees must receive an additional hour of pay at minimum wage if their workday spans more than 10 hours, even if they don't work all those hours.
New York has regional minimum wages with higher rates in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester.
New York requires overtime pay and has a unique "spread of hours" provision requiring additional compensation.
New York requires meal breaks for shifts exceeding certain durations, with timing requirements.
New York requires paid sick leave statewide with amounts varying by employer size.
New York City has "Fair Workweek" laws for retail and fast food workers requiring schedule predictability.
New York's "spread of hours" requirement is one of the most unique labor provisions in the country:
If an employee's workday spans more than 10 hours (from the start of their first shift to the end of their last shift, including breaks), they must be paid an additional hour at the minimum wage rate.
An employee works 9am-1pm (4 hours), takes unpaid time off, then returns for 5pm-9pm (4 hours). The spread is 12 hours (9am to 9pm), so they're entitled to spread of hours pay even though they only worked 8 hours total.
New York City's predictive scheduling laws impose significant penalties for non-compliance:
$10-75 premium per change depending on how little notice is given before the schedule change.
$100 premium if employee works shifts less than 11 hours apart (unless employee consents in writing).
If shift is cancelled with less than 72 hours notice, employee must receive cancellation pay.
Civil penalties up to $500 per violation, plus potential damages and attorney fees in private lawsuits.
Rightwork automatically calculates spread of hours pay, enforces NYC Fair Workweek requirements, and ensures compliance with regional minimum wage and meal break rules.
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