S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  9274

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 10, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. ROZIC -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Labor

AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to employee work schedules

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Article 5 of the labor law is amended by adding a new title
2 to read as follows:
                                 TITLE 2
                          SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
SECTION 171. DEFINITIONS.
        172. ADVANCED NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.
        173. EXCHANGE OF SHIFTS.
        174. PROHIBITED ACTS.
        175. EXCEPTIONS.
        176. ENFORCEMENT.
  S 171. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS TITLE:
  1.  "EMPLOYER"  SHALL  MEAN ANY PERSON, CORPORATION, LIMITED LIABILITY
COMPANY, LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP  OR  ASSOCIATION  EMPLOYING  FIVE
HUNDRED  OR MORE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES NATIONWIDE OR A PROPORTIONAL NUMBER
OF PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, WHO EMPLOYS  A  RETAIL  EMPLOYEE,  FOOD  SERVICE
EMPLOYEE OR CLEANING EMPLOYEE.
  2.  "EMPLOYEE" SHALL MEAN AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED AS A RETAIL EMPLOYEE,
FOOD SERVICE EMPLOYEE OR CLEANING EMPLOYEE BY AN EMPLOYER.
  3. "RETAIL EMPLOYEE" SHALL MEAN ANY EMPLOYEE PRIMARILY ENGAGED IN  THE
SALE  OF ITEMS AT A RETAIL STORE ENGAGED IN THE SALE OF ITEMS TO CONSUM-
ERS.
  4. "FOOD SERVICE EMPLOYEE" SHALL MEAN ANY EMPLOYEE  PRIMARILY  ENGAGED
IN  THE  SERVICE  OF FOOD OR BEVERAGE TO GUESTS, PATRONS OR CUSTOMERS IN
THE HOTEL OR RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, INCLUDING BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,  WAIT
STAFF,  BARTENDERS,  CAPTAINS  AND  BUSING  PERSONNEL; AND WHO REGULARLY
RECEIVES TIPS FROM SUCH GUESTS, PATRONS OR CUSTOMERS.
  5. "CLEANING EMPLOYEE" SHALL MEAN ANY EMPLOYEE  PRIMARILY  ENGAGED  IN
ACTIVITIES INVOLVING CLEANING IN A COMMERCIAL CONTEXT AT A COMMERCIAL OR

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD09954-04-6
              

A. 9274                             2

RESIDENTIAL  SETTING  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED TO, JANITORS, MAIDS,
HOUSEKEEPING CLEANERS AND BUILDING CLEANERS.
  S  172. ADVANCED NOTICE REQUIREMENTS. 1. ON OR BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF
EMPLOYMENT OF A RETAIL  EMPLOYEE,  FOOD  SERVICE  EMPLOYEE  OR  CLEANING
EMPLOYEE,  THE  EMPLOYER  OR  ITS  DESIGNEE SHALL PROVIDE NOTICE TO SUCH
EMPLOYEE IN WRITING OF THE EMPLOYEE'S  WORK  SCHEDULE  AND  THE  MINIMUM
NUMBER  OF  HOURS THE EMPLOYEE WILL BE ASSIGNED ON A MONTHLY BASIS. UPON
THE PROVISIONS OF SUCH NOTICE TO SUCH AN EMPLOYEE, THE EMPLOYER  OR  ITS
DESIGNEE  SHALL  OBTAIN  FROM  THE  EMPLOYEE  A SIGNED AND DATED WRITTEN
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, IN ENGLISH AND IN THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE OF THE EMPLOYEE,
OF RECEIPT OF THE NOTICE, WHICH THE EMPLOYER SHALL PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN
FOR A PERIOD OF SIX YEARS.
  2. ON OR BEFORE THE SEVENTH DAY  AFTER  THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  THIS
SECTION  AND  EVERY SEVEN DAYS THEREAFTER, EACH EMPLOYER OR ITS DESIGNEE
SHALL PROVIDE EACH EMPLOYEE WITH THE DAYS THAT  THE  EMPLOYEE  HAS  BEEN
ASSIGNED TO WORK AND THE HOURS OF WORK ON THOSE DAYS IN WRITING.  SCHED-
ULING  NOTICES  SHALL  ADDITIONALLY  BE POSTED IN A CONSPICUOUS PLACE IN
EVERY WORKPLACE OF THE EMPLOYER  AND  MAY  BE  REQUESTED  BY  ELECTRONIC
MEANS.
  3.  THE  PROVISIONS  OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY DURING ANY PERIOD
WHERE REGULAR OPERATIONS OF THE EMPLOYER ARE SUSPENDED AS  A  RESULT  OF
EVENTS BEYOND THE EMPLOYER'S CONTROL.
  S 173. EXCHANGE OF SHIFTS. ANY EMPLOYEES WHO WORK FOR THE SAME EMPLOY-
ER  IN THE SAME OR SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR LINE OF WORK MAY MUTUALLY AGREE
TO EXCHANGE WORK SCHEDULES BETWEEN THE TWO EMPLOYEES. FOR ANY CHANGE  OF
SCHEDULE AS A RESULT OF THIS SECTION, THE EMPLOYER SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED
TO  PROVIDE  ANY  NOTICE  TO ANY OTHER EMPLOYEES PURSUANT TO SECTION ONE
HUNDRED SEVENTY-TWO OF THIS TITLE.
  S 174. PROHIBITED ACTS. IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR ANY EMPLOYER TO:
  1. INTERFERE WITH, RESTRAIN OR DENY THE EXERCISE  OF,  OR  ATTEMPT  TO
EXERCISE  ANY  RIGHTS  PROVIDED TO AN EMPLOYEE BY THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
TITLE;
  2. DISCHARGE, THREATEN TO  DISCHARGE,  DEMOTE,  SUSPEND,  REDUCE  WORK
HOURS OF OR TAKE ANY OTHER ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTION AGAINST ANY EMPLOY-
EE  WHO  EXERCISES  OR  ATTEMPTS TO EXERCISE ANY RIGHTS PROVIDED BY THIS
TITLE; OR
  3. DISCHARGE OR DISCRIMINATE IN ANY OTHER MANNER AGAINST AN INDIVIDUAL
BECAUSE SUCH INDIVIDUAL HAS FILED ANY CHARGE, INSTITUTED ANY PROCEEDING,
PROVIDED ANY INFORMATION IN CONNECTION WITH AN INVESTIGATION, OR  TESTI-
FIED  OR  IS  ABOUT  TO  TESTIFY  IN  ANY  PROCEEDING AS A RESULT OF THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS TITLE.
  S 175. EXCEPTIONS. NOTHING IN THIS TITLE SHALL BE CONSTRUED AS PROHIB-
ITING OR CONFLICTING WITH ANY PROVISION OF LAW, OBLIGATION OR COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING AGREEMENT THAT IMPOSES INCREASED LEVELS  OF  PROTECTIONS  FOR
EMPLOYEES.
  S  176. ENFORCEMENT. 1. FOR EACH VIOLATION OF THIS TITLE BY AN EMPLOY-
ER, THE DEPARTMENT MAY ASSESS  A  CIVIL  PENALTY  NOT  TO  EXCEED  FIFTY
DOLLARS.
  2.  IN  ADDITION TO ANY PENALTY ASSESSED BY THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO
SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, ANY EMPLOYEE, WHO IS NOT PROVIDED  WITH
THE   NOTICE   REQUIRED  BY  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  SECTION  ONE  HUNDRED
SEVENTY-TWO OF THIS TITLE ON HIS OR HER FIRST DAY OF  EMPLOYMENT,  SHALL
HAVE  A  PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION AGAINST HIS OR HER EMPLOYER FOR DAMAGES
EQUAL TO FIFTY DOLLARS FOR EACH WORK DAY, AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF EMPLOY-
MENT, DURING WHICH THE  EMPLOYEE  IS  NOT  PROVIDED  WITH  THE  REQUIRED

A. 9274                             3

NOTICE,  IN  AN  AMOUNT  IN  THE  AGGREGATE  NOT TO EXCEED FIVE THOUSAND
DOLLARS, PLUS COURT COSTS AND ATTORNEY'S FEES.
  3.  IN  ADDITION TO ANY PENALTY ASSESSED BY THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO
SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, ANY EMPLOYEE, WHO DURING ANY  MONTH  IS
NOT  SCHEDULED TO WORK THE MINIMUM HOURS OF WORK FOR THE MONTH AS STATED
IN THE NOTICE PROVIDED TO SUCH EMPLOYEE PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF
SECTION  ONE  HUNDRED  SEVENTY-TWO  OF  THIS TITLE, SHALL HAVE A PRIVATE
RIGHT OF ACTION AGAINST HIS OR HER EMPLOYER FOR  DAMAGES  EQUAL  TO  THE
EMPLOYEE'S  HOURLY  PAY  RATE MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF HOURS WHICH IS
THE RESULT OF SUBTRACTING THE HOURS THE EMPLOYEE ACTUALLY WORKED  DURING
THE MONTH FROM SUCH EMPLOYEE'S STATED MINIMUM HOURS OF WORK FOR A MONTH,
PLUS COURT COSTS AND ATTORNEY'S FEES.
  S  2.  Severability.  If  any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or
part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of  competent  jurisdic-
tion  to  be invalid, this judgment shall not affect, impair, or invali-
date the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in  its  operation  to
the  clause,  sentence, paragraph, section, or part of this act directly
involved in the controversy  in  which  the  judgment  shall  have  been
rendered.
  S  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.