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’
Systemic racism in employment refers to discriminatory patterns, policies, and practices embedded within workplace structures that disadvantage employees and job applicants based on race, whether intentionally or through seemingly neutral policies that produce unequal outcomes. Unlike individual acts of bias, systemic discrimination creates institutional barriers that affect entire groups of
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.
In almost all cases, no. If you’re working in New York and your employer is paying you less than the legal minimum wage, they’re breaking the law. There are very few legitimate exceptions, and employers often claim exemptions that don’t actually apply. If you’re being paid less than $16.50/hour in
If you work in a New York City restaurant—as a server, cook, busser, dishwasher, bartender, or any other position—you have specific wage rights that many employers violate. Restaurant workers are among the most frequently underpaid workers in the city, facing tip theft, unpaid overtime, illegal deductions, and minimum wage violations.
If your employer is stealing your wages—whether through unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, illegal deductions, or tip theft—New York gives you multiple options to fight back. You can file a complaint with the state Department of Labor, file a federal complaint, sue your employer, or join a class action. Each
If you work more than 40 hours a week and don’t receive overtime pay in New York, your employer is likely violating the law. You’re entitled to 1.5 times your regular hourly rate for every hour over 40, and you can recover up to six years of unpaid overtime plus