New employment laws every NYC condo and co-op should know about

As a New York City condo or co-op board member, we know you value your building staff and want to take good care of them. 

New York will continue to enact more employee protection laws that could directly impact the well-being of your staff and the health of your building. For example, were you prepared to submit this year’s new Prevailing Wage Affidavit, certifying that qualified buildings looking to take advantage of the NYC tax abatement were paying their employees the prevailing wage? Such an oversight could have serious consequences for your building. 

To help you stay in the know, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most important local, state and federal regulations you should know about and how they may (or may not) affect your building and on-site team.

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1. Whistleblower Law

New York’s expansive whistleblower law just got, well, more expansive. Now protected under the law, current or former employees as well as contractors may report an alleged violation should they “reasonably” believe a supervisor or employer is aware of the situation and will not correct it. 

Already in effect, the notice should be posted within your building in an “accessible and well-lighted place.” If you haven’t already, get it up as soon as possible. You can use this model notice from the New York State Department of Labor.

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2. Human and Civil Rights Law Updates 

• While already enacted in New York, a new federal law allows any employee the option to litigate their state or federal harassment claims either in court or through arbitration no matter if they had previously entered any pre-dispute arbitration agreements. 
• Disclosing personnel files of employees who file complaints of discrimination or harassment is now prohibited by state law. 
• New York’s new confidential sexual harassment hotline is expected to go live July 14, 2022, which will provide expert counsel from pro bono attorneys. Once in effect, you'll need to include the hotline in any staff materials regarding sexual harassment. More specific details are expected to come soon. 
• Do you electronically monitor your staff’s phone calls, emails and internet usage? If you don’t, you can skip this one. If you do, beginning May 7, 2022, you will be required to provide written notice of said monitoring to all current and new employees as well as receive a written acknowledgment from new employees upon hiring. 

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3. Pay Transparency Law

Formerly slated to become effective May 15, 2022, the New York City Council recently amended and pushed the start date of NYC’s salary transparency law to November 1, 2022. As it stands today, the law will require any employer with four or more employees to disclose “good faith” salary ranges in job postings, paid hourly or an annual salary. 

With five additional months to prepare, it’s worth keeping a close eye should any further changes drastically alter how your condo or co-op is affected. 

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Final Thoughts 

What seems like every month, there are new laws and amendments passed that may affect how your building operates. That's why condo and co-op boards are working with us, Daisy, a New York City tech-driven, human-led property management company that does things differently. We care about your building staff as much as you do and provide expert counsel on all upcoming rules and regulations, so you can rest assured you’re always in the know and up to code. 

‍Visit us today to learn more about what Daisy can do for you.

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All laws are updated as of May 5, 2022, and may be subject to change. We will work to update as we see further amendments passed.