New York City Employment Law Attorneys

The New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) is one of the most protective anti-discrimination statutes in the country. It covers employers with four or more employees (compared to 15 for federal Title VII), protects additional categories including caregiver status, salary history inquiries, and unemployment status, and uses a more plaintiff-friendly standard that does not require harassment to be 'severe or pervasive.' The NYCHRL also provides for uncapped compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees. NYC workers benefit from three layers of protection: city, state, and federal.

NYC workers have three options: the NYC Commission on Human Rights (for NYCHRL violations), the New York State Division of Human Rights (for NYSHRL violations), or the EEOC New York District Office at 33 Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan (for federal claims). You may also file a lawsuit directly in state or federal court. Each agency has different deadlines and procedures — an experienced NYC employment attorney can advise on the best strategy for maximum recovery.

Wage theft is epidemic in New York City. Studies estimate that NYC workers lose billions of dollars annually to wage violations including unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, tip theft, off-the-clock work, and illegal deductions. Industries with the highest violation rates include restaurants, retail, construction, nail salons, car washes, home healthcare, and domestic work. New York's Wage Theft Prevention Act requires employers to provide written wage notices and strengthens penalties for violations.

The financial services industry in NYC has significant employment law concerns, including gender and racial discrimination in hiring and promotion, sexual harassment, retaliation against compliance whistleblowers, age discrimination in layoffs, and disputes over bonus compensation. The Dodd-Frank Act and Sarbanes-Oxley Act provide specific whistleblower protections for financial industry employees who report securities violations. NYC finance workers also benefit from the NYCHRL's broad protections.

New York law significantly restricts NDAs related to workplace harassment. Employers cannot include non-disclosure clauses in settlement agreements unless the complainant prefers confidentiality and has a 21-day review period plus a 7-day revocation period. Employers also cannot require employees to sign NDAs preventing them from reporting harassment to law enforcement, the EEOC, or state/city human rights agencies. These protections ensure that harassment victims can speak freely.

Our NYC employment attorneys work on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we win your case. There are no upfront costs, retainer fees, or consultation charges. We advance all litigation costs and only collect our fee when we recover compensation for you through settlement or verdict. This ensures that every NYC worker, regardless of financial situation, has access to experienced legal representation.