Salary Transparency and Legal Ramifications for New York City Businesses
The New York City Council recently passed Local Law 32, a salary transparency law, which amends the New York City Human Rights Law to require employers to list the minimum and maximum salary range when publicizing new positions. The law applies not only when advertising a job in public media, but also in internal postings regarding promotion or transfer opportunities. The effective date of the law, originally slated to go into effect on May 15, 2022, has been delayed by the New York City Council and will now go into effect November 1, 2022. The delay will allow additional time for compliance by companies. Given that employers could face substantial penalties under this new law for non-compliance, the delay should be viewed as an opportunity to assess hiring procedures and make any necessary changes ahead of its implementation.
The new law applies to all companies with four or more employees, where at least one is located in New York City. Independent contractors are included in the count. Temporary staffing agencies are exempted, as they are already required to disclose wages in compliance with the New York Wage Theft Prevention Act. When this new law goes into effect, it will be considered an “unlawful discriminatory practice” under the NYCHRL if a company does not provide the minimum and maximum salary or hourly range for a position. The range of compensation publicized must be what the employer in good faith believes it would pay at the time the information is posted. It’s important for employers to note that for compliance purposes “salary” refers to base annual pay or hourly wages but does not include employee benefits such as insurance coverage, time off from work, or other forms of indirect compensation. To learn more about the law and its status, you can visit the New York City Council website by clicking here. While there are no fines for first-time violators if the issue is corrected to the satisfaction of the New York City Commission on Human Rights within 30 days, employers deemed to have violated the pay transparency law can be subject to civil penalties of up to $250,000.
We strongly recommend that NYC employers take advantage of the additional time and review current job postings to ensure compliance once the law takes effect. Adherence may require updates to internal and external job advertisements.
The New York employment attorneys of our Labor and Employment Practice Group are available for consultation if you have any questions regarding salary information and transparency. To learn more about the services Bleakley Platt & Schmidt’s Labor and Employment Practice Group has to offer, please click here or contact our office at (914) 287-6144.