Bill > A07781

This bill amends New York labor law to expand protections for employees during facility closings and mass layoffs by making several significant changes. The bill removes the exclusion of part-time employees from key definitions, broadens the definition of "employer" to include affiliates, and reduces the threshold for what constitutes a mass layoff from complex multi-part criteria to simply twenty or more employees. It shortens the period for defining extended layoffs from six to three months and eliminates the maximum time period for calculating back pay and other liabilities. The bill introduces a mandatory severance pay requirement, where employers must pay employees one week of severance for each full year of employment, with an additional four weeks of severance if proper notice is not given. Moreover, the bill gives the attorney general more authority to assist employees in recovering back pay and other liabilities, and it removes previous discretionary provisions that allowed employers to potentially reduce penalties for violations. These changes aim to provide more comprehensive worker protections during business transitions and layoffs by creating clearer, more inclusive standards for employer obligations and employee compensation.

Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7781