Under New York law, you have six years to file a claim for unpaid wages—one of the longest time limits in the country. This applies to minimum wage violations, unpaid overtime, tip theft, and other wage claims. Federal law provides only two to three years, making New York’s state law

If your employer is taking your tips, requiring illegal tip pools, deducting credit card fees from tips, or failing to make up the difference when tips don’t reach minimum wage, they’re breaking the law. Tips are your property under New York law—your employer cannot touch them except in very limited

If your employer calls you an “independent contractor” or pays you as a “1099 worker” but controls your schedule, tells you how to do your work, and treats you like an employee, you may be misclassified. Misclassification is illegal and costs you overtime pay, minimum wage protections, unemployment benefits, workers’

Wage theft is when your employer fails to pay you what you’re legally owed. It includes unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, tip theft, illegal deductions, and off-the-clock work. Wage theft costs American workers an estimated $50 billion annually—more than all robberies, burglaries, and auto thefts combined. Since September 2023, wage

If you work construction in New York, you have strong wage protections—and they’re frequently violated. Construction workers must receive overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 per week, must be paid weekly (not biweekly), and cannot be misclassified as independent contractors to avoid wage laws.