New Laws in New York City Geared Toward Protecting Women

Women’s rights in the workplace a key focus for New York

In October, Governor Andrew Cuomo put his signature on several bills that help to promote equality for women in the workplace as well as enhance the strength of existing laws about domestic violence. The package included eight bills in total, and is part of the Governor's Women's Equality Act first presented in 2013. The bill was passed piecemeal through the legislature earlier this year after one section of the law directed at improving abortion rights was ultimately not approved. According to Cuomo, this package is geared towards helping women all over the city, but also throughout the country.

Cuomo wants New York to be a model of women's equality, setting the standard for other states to follow. Some of the components of this bill package include increasing assurance for equal pay for equal work between men and women, fighting sexual harassment in the workplace, stopping gender discrimination in employment as well as credit and housing decisions, and fighting human trafficking. Some of the other laws in the package also help to strengthen protections for domestic violence victims and improve accommodations in the workplace for pregnant individuals.

The signing of these bills was a major accomplishment for Cuomo, as the entire package was two years in development. Originally, the equality package included ten separate bills, but controversy over the abortion rights section of the bill ultimately stalled progress. Republicans in the Senate were opposed to this particular component of the bill, so advocates supporting the package ultimately focused on passing the other measures.

The New York Civil Liberties Union supported the passage of this bill package stating that the existing legal framework for women's rights stood to be improved and that this was a significant step in the right direction. According to Cuomo, he does not plan to give up on incorporating abortion rights into statutes in New York. There are several provisions that individuals across New York should be aware of as a result of this bill being passed:

·        Pay equity. Employers are now forbidden from paying women less than men when the same work is being performed. The new version of this law eliminates a previous loophole that gave employers the right to prohibit employees from discussing salaries.

·        Sexual harassment changes. Employees are now protected from sexual harassment, no matter the size of the company they work for. The past law had defined employer as individuals with more than four employees, limiting victims at smaller workplaces from being able to file a claim.

·        Discrimination based on family status. The new laws prohibit employers from discriminating against individuals as a result of family status. Employers can now be penalized for denying women with families, promotions or recommendations for being hired.     

If you believe you or someone you know has been subject to unfair employment practices, contact experienced New York employment lawyers at Hepworth, Gershbam & Roth PLLC at 212-545-1199 or online for a free, confidential consultation.