Workplace Justice
The safety of our community members is our top priority. We have compiled a list of resources that our legal and organizing teams have created to ensure our members are safe in their workplace.
Please remember that these are supplemental resources and we highly recommend that you reach out to your attorney should you have any questions particular to your case.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION DURING COVID-19
Safety Protections for Essential Workers in a Pandemic
Workers Rights and the COVID-19 Crisis (in Spanish)
How to protect your health as a domestic worker during the COVID-19 Crisis (in Spanish)
If you are not working because of COVID-19, you can apply for unemployment benefits now! Learn how to file your unemployment insurance claim online here.
UPDATES ON WORKERS’ RIGHTS IN NY IN THE MIDST OF COVID-19
I lost my job, have had my hours cut, or have been put on unpaid leave as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19): Am I eligible for Unemployment Benefits?
ICE AND THE WORKPLACE
If ICE shows up at your workplace, you have the right to:
- Deny access;
- Do not talk to ICE;
- Remain silent;
- Designate a safe space;
DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING WITHOUT SPEAKING TO YOUR LAWYER. DO NOT GIVE ANY FALSE INFORMATION TO ICE.
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AND COVID-19
If you are not working or have lost hours of work due to COVID-19, and if you qualify, you may apply for unemployment insurance. Unemployment insurance provides temporary income for eligible workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Even if your employer has told you that you will return to work in the future, you may qualify for benefits during the time that you are not working.
PAID SICK LEAVE: WHAT EMPLOYEES NEED TO KNOW
New York City
Most workers in NYC have the right to sick time. If you work in NYC for more than 80 hours a year, you can earn up to 40 hours of leave to care for yourself or anyone you consider family. You can start using your sick time 120 days after your first day of employment. You can use your time to stay home if you or a family member is sick or to go to medical appointments.
If your employer has five or more employees, you have a right to paid leave. If your employer has fewer than five employees, you have a right to unpaid leave.
Domestic workers in NYC who have worked (i) for the same employer for at least one year, and (ii) worked more than 80 hours in a year for that employer, are entitled to two paid days of sick leave each year.
Your employer cannot refuse to let you use the sick time that you have earned, punish you for requesting or using earned sick time, or make you find a replacement worker before letting you use your sick time. Your employer cannot require medical documentation for using your sick time if you are taking three consecutive days off of work or less.
To learn more or to report a problem, call 311.
Westchester
Most workers in Westchester have the right to sick time. The Westchester paid sick days law went into effect in 2019. If you work in Westchester for more than 80 hours a year, you can earn up to 40 hours of leave to care for yourself or anyone you consider family. You can start using your sick time 120 days after your first day of employment. You can use your time to stay home if you or a family member is sick or to go to medical appointments.
If your employer has five or more employees, you have a right to paid leave. If your employer has fewer than five employees, you have a right to unpaid leave.
Your employer cannot refuse to let you use the sick time that you have earned, punish you for requesting or using your earned sick time, or make you find a replacement worker before letting you use your sick time. Your employer cannot require medical documentation for using your sick time if you are taking three consecutive days off of work or less.
To learn more or to report a problem, call the Department of Consumer Affairs at (914) 995-2155.