NY State Senate Bill 2017-S347

Senate Bill S347

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Requires employers of retail, food service or cleaning employees to give such employees 7 day notice of their work schedule and a months notice of the minimum hours of work

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Labor Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to labor
Jan 04, 2017	referred to labor

2017-S347 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1323
Current Committee:: Senate Labor
Law Section:: Labor Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 5 Title 2 §§171 - 176, Lab L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S4363, A9274
2019-2020: S3346, A315
2021-2022: S468, A450
2023-2024: S2560, A737

2017-S347 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires employers of retail, food service or cleaning employees to give such employees 7 days' notice of their work schedule and a month's notice of the minimum hours of work; provides a private right of action to employees who are aggrieved by certain violations of such provisions.

2017-S347 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S347

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the labor law, in relation to employee work schedules

 PURPOSE :

This bill amends the Labor Law by adding a new Title 2 to Article 5 to
create a responsibility upon certain employers to provide employees
with consistent and predictable work schedules.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 creates a new Title 2 to Article 5 of the Labor Law and
includes six subsections pursuant to the new Title. Section 171 dames
"employer," "employee," "retail employee." "food service employee" and
"cleaning employee" for purposes of the Title. Section 172 creates
advanced notice requirements whereby an employer covered by the Title
must provide notice of the minimum number of hours the employee will
be assigned on a monthly basis, as well as provide seven days notice
to an employee as to their scheduled shift; Section 172 also includes
posting requirements within covered establishments.  Section 173
permits similarly situated employees to exchange work shifts. Section
174 sets forth prohibitions upon employers covered by the Title from
interfering with the provisions of the Title and/or retaliating

against employees exercising rights covered by the Title.  Section 175
sets forth exceptions to the Title. Section 176 sets forth enforcement
powers of the Department of Labor, as well as private causes of action
by employees in relation to some provisions of the Title.

Section 2 addresses severability of the Title.

Section 3 sets forth the effective date of the Title.

 JUSTIFICATION :

This bill increases the ability of low-wage earners to plan important
aspects of their lives, pertaining especially to the provision of
healthcare, childcare and other essential family needs. Employers
routinely construct work schedules that vary wildly from week to week,
as to the clays of the week worked and total hours scheduled.  Too
often, work schedules provided 'at the last minute,' result in the
inability of employees to effectively manage childcare and healthcare
needs, resulting in both increased absenteeism from work and in
missing important medical appointments. Some low wage earners are also
confronted with work schedules that set forth less hours than
expected, further hampering their ability to effectively provide for
themselves and their families. This bill increases workers'
predictability of income by providing notice of the minimum hours an
employee is expected to he scheduled during a given month. This bill
also alleviates scheduling concerns by giving employees seven days
notice of expected work shifts. as well as allowing covered employees
to exchange shifts with similarly situated colleagues. While the
Department of Labor holds the power to wage a penalty for each
violation of this Title, employees are further provided with a private
cause of action to enforce provisions relative to monthly expected
hours statements.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2015-2016-S4363A

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act will take effect ninety days after it becomes law.

2017-S347 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    347
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 4, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. PERALTA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed 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.
   § 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD00157-01-7

 S. 347                              2
 
 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
 RESIDENTIAL SETTING INCLUDING, BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,  JANITORS,  MAIDS,
 HOUSEKEEPING CLEANERS AND BUILDING CLEANERS.
   §  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.
   § 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.
   § 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.
   § 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.
   §  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

 S. 347                              3
 
 PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION AGAINST HIS OR HER EMPLOYER FOR DAMAGES EQUAL TO
 FIFTY  DOLLARS  FOR  EACH  WORK  DAY, AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF EMPLOYMENT,
 DURING WHICH THE EMPLOYEE IS NOT PROVIDED WITH THE REQUIRED  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.
   § 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.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.

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