New York’s labor laws have changed significantly in 2025, introducing updates that affect both employers and employees across the state. These changes reflect ongoing efforts to enhance worker protections while balancing business needs in a dynamic economy. New York employers must comply with these updated regulations to avoid penalties and ensure proper treatment of their workforce.
The 2025 labor law updates include changes to minimum wage requirements, expanded paid leave provisions, and new workplace safety regulations. The Clean Slate Act implementation also transforms how past criminal records impact employment opportunities throughout New York State. These modifications aim to create more equitable workplaces while addressing modern employment challenges.
Key Takeaways
- New York’s 2025 labor laws include higher minimum wage rates and expanded employee leave benefits that employers must implement by specific deadlines.
- The Clean Slate Act automatically seals certain criminal records after specified waiting periods, creating new employment rights for millions of New Yorkers.
- Workplace safety regulations have been strengthened with additional protections for vulnerable workers and new employer reporting requirements.
Key Updates to New York Labor Laws in 2025
Taking a high-level look at the most significant changes, the following updates focus on wage increases, leave benefits, and new workplace safety requirements.
Major Legislative Changes
Paid Family Leave: The maximum benefit remains at 12 weeks of job-protected leave at 67% of an employee’s average weekly wage, with a 2025 maximum benefit of $1,177.32 per week.
Minimum Wage: As of January 1, 2025, the minimum wage is $16.50 per hour in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, and $15.50 per hour in the rest of the state. Any higher figures are not in effect for 2025.
Overtime Exemption Salary Thresholds: The minimum salary required for executive and administrative overtime exemption is $1,237.50 per week in NYC, Long Island, and Westchester, and $1,161.65 per week in the rest of the state.
Clean Slate Act: The Clean Slate Act began implementation in November 2024, providing for automatic sealing of eligible misdemeanor records after three years and felony records after eight years, provided no new offenses have occurred. Not all convictions qualify, and implementation will be phased in through 2027.
Retail Worker Safety Act: Effective June 2, 2025, retail employers with at least 10 employees must implement a written workplace violence prevention policy and provide related training. The law does not require panic buttons or minimum staffing levels for all stores but does mandate risk assessment and anti-retaliation provisions.
Paid Sick Leave: Employers with 4 or fewer employees must provide up to 40 hours of unpaid sick leave; those with 5–99 employees must provide up to 40 hours paid; and those with 100+ employees must provide up to 56 hours paid leave annually.
Other Laws: As of June 2025, there is no Digital Right to Disconnect Act, Transparent Scheduling Act, or portable benefits law in effect in New York State.
Wage Enforcement and Child Labor: The 2025-26 budget strengthens wage-and-hour enforcement, limits liquidated damages for first-time pay frequency violations, increases penalties for child labor violations, and overhauls minor employment certification (effective May 9, 2027).
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Implications for Employers
Employers should update handbooks, pay practices, and workplace violence policies to reflect these changes, all areas where Mosey can be an invaluable partner by automating these critical handbook updates. Training on anti-discrimination and harassment must also be up to date. Note, however, that worker classification rules have not changed substantially in 2025.
Minimum Wage and Hourly Regulations
Obviously, New York’s labor laws have undergone especially significant changes regarding minimum wage rates and hourly work requirements. This reflects the state’s commitment to providing fair compensation for workers while balancing the needs of businesses across different regions.
Minimum Wage Increases in 2025
Effective January 1, 2025, the minimum wage rates in New York State are:
- New York City, Long Island, Westchester: $16.50 per hour
- Rest of New York State: $15.50 per hour
There is no separate, higher rate for small businesses. Thus, all employers must comply with these rates.
Minimum Wage Comparison
NYC, Long Island, Westchester:
- 2025: $16.50/hour
- 2024: $16.00/hour
Rest of New York State:
- 2025: $15.50/hour
- 2024: $15.00/hour
Wage and Hour Rules
Employers must provide written notice of wage rates to new hires and when rates change. Pay stubs must include hours worked, rates paid, and deductions. Payroll records must also be kept for six years.
Meal Breaks
New York law requires a 30-minute unpaid meal break for employees working shifts longer than six hours. There is no statewide requirement for additional paid rest breaks, although any rest breaks provided must be paid.
Spread of Hours Pay
Employees whose workday begins and ends more than 10 hours apart (including breaks) are entitled to an extra hour of pay at the minimum wage rate.
Overtime Exemption and Salary Thresholds
For 2025, the minimum salary thresholds for overtime exemption are:
- NYC, Long Island, Westchester: $1,237.50 per week ($64,350 annually)
- Rest of New York State: $1,161.65 per week ($60,406 annually)
Employees earning below these thresholds must receive overtime pay at 1.5 times their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 per week.
Guidelines for Food Service Workers
Tipped Minimum Wage (2025):
- NYC, Long Island, Westchester: $11.00/hour cash wage, $5.50 tip credit
- Rest of State: $10.35/hour cash wage, $5.15 tip credit
Employers must ensure that tips plus base wage meet or exceed the full minimum wage.
Uniform Allowance (2025)
Employers requiring employees to maintain uniforms must pay the following weekly allowances:
NYC, Long Island & Westchester:
- More than 30 hours: $20.50
- 20–30 hours: $16.25
- 20 hours or less: $9.80
Rest of New York State:
- More than 30 hours: $19.25
- 20–30 hours: $15.30
- 20 hours or less: $9.25
Wage Enforcement and Child Labor: 2025 Reforms
The 2025–26 New York State budget brings major amendments to wage-and-hour enforcement and child labor laws:
Wage-and-hour enforcement has been strengthened. For first-time violations of the pay frequency law (such as not paying manual workers weekly), employers are now liable for interest-only damages—rather than double wages—if they paid on a regular schedule at least semi-monthly and had a good-faith basis for their pay practice. Repeat violations can still trigger full liquidated damages.
The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) has expanded enforcement powers, including the ability to impose a 15% surcharge on unsatisfied wage judgments and to allow employees to directly enforce wage orders without waiting for state action.
Penalties for child labor violations have increased significantly. As of May 9, 2025, civil penalties can reach up to $10,000 for a first violation, $2,000–$25,000 for a second, and $10,000–$55,000 for a third or subsequent violation. If a violation results in serious injury or death, penalties are even higher.
Minor employment certification and recordkeeping will be overhauled. Starting May 9, 2027, employers of minors must register with the NYSDOL’s new electronic database and comply with centralized certification and recordkeeping requirements. The labor commissioner—not school officials—will issue and revoke work permits, and employers must destroy minors’ certificates upon termination.
These reforms are designed to reduce technical litigation, ensure prompt wage recovery, and modernize child labor protections in New York.
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Leave Laws and Workplace Benefits
New York’s leave laws have also expanded significantly in 2025, providing stronger protections for workers across the state. These updated regulations ensure employees have access to time off when they need it most while balancing employer responsibilities.
Paid Sick Leave Law
New York’s Paid Sick Leave Law requires:
- Employers with 4 or fewer employees: up to 40 hours of unpaid sick leave annually
- Employers with 5–99 employees: up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually
- Employers with 100+ employees: up to 56 hours of paid sick leave annually
Employees earn one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Leave can be used for illness, family care, or domestic violence-related needs. Unused leave carries over, but annual use may be capped at the above limits.
Family Leave Requirements
As we said up top, eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave at 67% of their average weekly wage in 2025, up to a maximum of $1,177.32 per week. Qualifying reasons include bonding with a new child, caring for a seriously ill family member, or supporting family during military deployment.
Prenatal Leave Policies
A significant addition for 2025: Private sector employers must provide pregnant employees up to 20 hours of paid leave annually for prenatal care, to be used for medical appointments and necessary procedures related to pregnancy. New York also requires employers to provide lactation rooms and reasonable break time for nursing mothers, but there is no specific mandate for a dedicated room based solely on employer size.
Clean Slate Act and Employment Rights
New York’s Clean Slate Act, enacted in 2024 and rolling out through 2027, dramatically reshapes how past criminal records affect employment. By automatically sealing eligible convictions after designated waiting periods, the law expands job opportunities for millions of New Yorkers while establishing clear rules for employers. Let’s look at how the Clean Slate Act works, what records are affected, and what compliance looks like in practice.
Understanding the Clean Slate Act
- The Clean Slate Act allows for automatic sealing of criminal records after a specified waiting period. For misdemeanors, records can be sealed after three years from sentencing or release. Felony records become eligible after eight years.
- Not all convictions qualify for automatic sealing. Serious offenses like sex crimes and some violent felonies are excluded from the Clean Slate program.
- Employers cannot legally discriminate against applicants based on sealed records. This protection helps formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society through meaningful work.
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New York Clean Slate Implementation
New York began implementing the Clean Slate Act in November 2024. The rollout occurs in phases to ensure proper system updates and training for relevant agencies.
Key Implementation Dates
- November 2024: Initial system changes and agency coordination
- March 2025: First batch of eligible misdemeanor records sealed
- June 2025: Continued processing of eligible felony records
- Full implementation is expected by 2027
The state established a Clean Slate Information Portal where both employers and employees can verify record status and understand their rights.
Employers must update their background check policies to comply with the new law. Non-compliance can result in penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. Training programs have been developed to help HR professionals navigate the new employment landscape with proper protocols for handling applications.
Impact on Employee Records
Sealed records no longer appear in most background checks used for employment. This change affects approximately 2.3 million New Yorkers with criminal histories.
Employees don’t need to disclose sealed convictions when applying for most jobs. Exceptions exist for positions in law enforcement, childcare, and certain financial sectors.
The law creates a more level playing field in hiring practices. Before the Clean Slate Act, individuals with records faced unemployment rates nearly five times higher than the general population.
Important rights for employees include:
- The right to refuse answering questions about sealed records
- Protection against discrimination based on sealed convictions
- The ability to legally answer “no” when asked about sealed records on job applications
Workplace Safety and Special Considerations
New York’s labor laws include important protections for worker safety and well-being. These regulations address specific hazards in retail environments, violence prevention, required break periods, and regional variations across the state.
Retail Worker Safety Act
Effective June 2, 2025, the Retail Worker Safety Act applies to employers with at least 10 employees at a retail store (not primarily engaged in food service). Covered employers must:
- Adopt a written retail workplace violence prevention policy
- Provide the policy to employees at hire and during each workplace violence prevention training
- Conduct workplace violence risk assessments
- Train employees on violence prevention and reporting
- Prohibit retaliation against employees who report risks or incidents
There is no statewide requirement for panic buttons, minimum staffing levels, or protective barriers for all stores.
Breaks and Rest Periods
New York law requires a 30-minute unpaid meal break for shifts over six hours. There is no statewide requirement for additional paid rest breaks, although any rest breaks provided must be paid. Employers must provide reasonable break time and space for nursing mothers.
Regional Safety Provisions
Finally, note that some cities or counties may have additional safety requirements, but statewide, the above rules apply. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to check any applicable local regulations.
Mosey Keeps You Compliant with New York Labor Laws in 2025
From wage hikes and expanded leave laws to the phased rollout of the Clean Slate Act, New York’s 2025 labor law changes introduce new risks and responsibilities for employers. These updates reflect a continued push for fairer employment practices—but they also add layers of complexity to compliance, especially for businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions.
That’s where Mosey helps. Mosey’s platform simplifies HR compliance by keeping you up to date on labor laws, tax obligations, wage rules, and more, in New York and beyond. With tools designed to reduce risk and save time, Mosey gives employers and HR leaders confidence in every hire and decision—no matter where your employees live and work.
Want to find out more? Try a free Mosey demo today and see how easy it can be to stay compliant with New York’s ever-changing compliance landscape.
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