Bill > S01089

This bill establishes a mandatory "workplace readiness week" for secondary schools in New York, focusing on educating students about their labor rights and workplace protections. The week, which occurs annually around May 1st, requires schools to provide comprehensive information to students on topics including child labor laws, wage and hour protections, worker safety, workers' compensation, paid sick leave, anti-retaliation policies, and union organization rights. For eleventh and twelfth graders, these lessons will be integrated into the existing curriculum, with optional special events. The bill also mandates that any minor seeking working papers receive a document explaining basic labor rights, which must be available in languages spoken by at least 5% of students in a school or in the student's primary language. Additionally, the bill encourages schools to introduce students to apprenticeship programs, civil service opportunities, and financial literacy topics like banking and tax filing. The New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University is encouraged to develop a template for the labor rights document, in consultation with labor organizations. The state commissioner is required to send annual notices to secondary schools about workplace readiness week resources at least one month before the event.

Education

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1089