Client Alert
New Yorks New Wage Theft Law: What It Means, and What To Do Now
March 07, 2011
Allan S. Bloom & Rebecca E. Raiser
The New York Wage Theft Prevention Act (the WTPA) takes effect on April 9, 2011. The new law, part of a lame-duck legislation package signed by former Governor David Paterson in December 2010, amends the New York Labor Law in a number of significant respects. The WTPA modifies Articles 6, 7, and 19 of the Labor Law, most notably by: (1) increasing by fourfold the amount of liquidated damages an employee or the Commissioner of Labor can recover in an action for unpaid wages, (2) amplifying employers existing notice and wage statement requirements, and (3) expanding both the substantive protections and the remedies available to employees under the anti-retaliation provisions of the Labor Law.
This client alert summarizes the most meaningful of the Labor Law amendments in the WTPA and presents an immediate action plan for compliance.