Employee handbook requirements in New York (2026)
A compliant New York employee handbook layers New York-specific policies on top of the
federal baseline. New York is one of the more demanding states for employers,
with significant state-law obligations beyond the federal floor.
Below are the 12 New York-specific requirements in our library, plus the federal baseline that also applies.
High-obligation state
12 New York-specific items
110 federal baseline items
New York-specific handbook requirements
Policies driven by New York state law that a handbook should address.
New York Pay Transparency Law
Pay Transparency
Employers 4+: must include pay range and job description in job postings effective Sept 2023.
Authority: NY Labor Law § 194-b; A10477 (2022, eff. Sept 17, 2023); NYSDOL regulations
New York State Paid Sick Leave (NYPSL — 2020)
Paid Sick Leave
New York State Paid Sick Leave (NYPSL). Accrual: 1hr/30hrs for all employers. Tiers: <5 EE with net income ≤$1M = 40hrs UNPAID; <5 EE with net income >$1M = 40hrs PAID; 5-99 EE = 40hrs PAID; 100+ EE = 56hrs PAID (CORRECTED from prior 40-hr entry for this tier). No waiting period to accrue; employers may restrict use in first 30 days of employment.
Authority: NY Labor Law § 196-b (NY Paid Sick Leave Law, eff. Sept 30, 2020); 12 NYCRR Part 196-1; NYSDOL guidance; NY City Admin. Code § 20-912 et seq. (NYC ESSTA)
New York Wage Theft Prevention Act — Hire Notice
Required
Pay / Payroll
NY Labor Law §195: employer must provide written notice at hire of: rate(s) of pay, overtime rate, pay basis (hourly/salary/commission/piece), regular payday, employer legal name/DBA/address/phone. Employee must sign and return acknowledgment. Employer retains copy 6 years.
Authority: NY Labor Law § 195 (NY Wage Theft Prevention Act / WTPA — hire notice with wage rate, pay period, PTO accrual, employer identity); NYSDOL WTPA guidance
New York Mandatory Sexual Harassment Policy and Annual Training
Required
Harassment
NY requires ALL employers (any size): adopt and distribute written sexual harassment prevention policy; provide annual training to ALL employees (not just supervisors). Model policy and training scripts available from NY State. NYC requires training within 90 days of hire.
Authority: NY Labor Law § 201-g (mandatory written sexual harassment policy and annual training — every employer in NY); NY Exec. Law § 296-d (sexual harassment by non-employees); NYSDOL model policy
New York Human Rights Law — Disability Accommodation
Accommodation (Disability)
NY State Human Rights Law covers employers 4+: broader disability definition than ADA; perceived disability covered; pregnancy-related conditions and nursing explicitly covered. NYC Human Rights Law (employers 4+) is among the most expansive local anti-discrimination laws in the nation.
Authority: NY Human Rights Law, N.Y. Exec. Law § 296 (disability accommodation); NY NYC Human Rights Law § 8-107; NYSDOL guidance
New York Paid Family Leave (NY PFL)
FMLA / Family Leave
New York Paid Family Leave provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected paid leave for bonding with a new child, caring for a seriously ill family member, or qualifying military exigency. 2025 benefit: 67% of the employee's average weekly wage, capped at 67% of the statewide average weekly wage ($1,177.32/week max in 2025). Employee-funded through payroll deductions; no employer premium. Applies to employers with 1+ employee.
Authority: NY Workers' Compensation Law Art. 9 §§ 201-242 (NY Paid Family Leave); 12 NYCRR Part 380; NY Workers' Compensation Board PFL guidance; NY WCL § 211 (benefit rate determination)
New York Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (NY WARN)
Separation / Final Pay
New York WARN Act requires 90 days advance notice (vs. 60 days under federal WARN) for qualifying plant closings and mass layoffs. Covered employers: 50+ full-time employees. Triggering events: plant closing affecting 25+ workers; mass layoff affecting 25+ workers (250+ workers at all employers OR 25+ workers who are 33%+ of workforce at 50-250 employee companies). Penalty: pay and benefits for each day of non-compliance (up to 60 days).
Authority: NY Labor Law §§ 860-860-j (NY WARN Act, eff. Feb 1, 2009); 12 NYCRR Part 921; NYSDOL guidance; NY requires 90-day advance notice vs. federal 60-day
New York Prenatal Personal Leave (NY Labor Law § 196-b — eff. Jan 1, 2025)
Pregnancy / Parental Leave
New York law (effective January 1, 2025) requires employers to provide employees with up to 20 hours of paid prenatal personal leave per 52-week period. The leave is for health care services received by an employee during pregnancy, including physical examinations, medical procedures, monitoring and testing, and discussions with a health care provider related to the pregnancy. This leave is separate from and in addition to NY Paid Family Leave and any other leave entitlements. Leave is paid at the employee's regular rate of pay. No accrual required — the 20 hours are available immediately.
Authority: NY Labor Law § 196-b (as amended eff. January 1, 2025 — prenatal personal leave); NYSDOL guidance (2025)
NY Pay Range Disclosure
Required
Pay Transparency Notice
New York employers with 4+ employees must disclose the compensation range (min and max) in advertisements for a job, promotion, or transfer opportunity that can or will be performed in New York.
Authority: NY Labor Law 194-b
City & local rules in New York
Local ordinances that add requirements on top of New York state law.
New York City Fair Workweek Law — Fast Food and Retail (eff. 2017/2021)
NYC
NYC Fair Workweek has two components: (1) Fast food: employers with 30+ nationwide locations must provide 14-day advance schedule; cannot schedule clopening shifts (< 11 hrs between) without employee consent + $100 premium; no involuntary schedule changes. (2) Retail: employers with 20+ employees must prohibit on-call scheduling; require 72-hour advance notice for shift cancellations; pay predictability pay.
Authority: NYC Administrative Code §§ 20-1201 et seq. (Fair Workweek Law — Fast Food and Retail); Rules of City of New York Title 55 Chapters 7, 8; eff. Nov 26, 2017; amended 2020 (retail worker provisions)
New York City Height and Weight Discrimination Prohibition
NYC
New York City amended the NYC Human Rights Law (HRL) effective November 22, 2023 to add height and weight as protected characteristics. Employers with 4+ employees may not make employment decisions (hiring, discharge, compensation, terms) based on an employee's height or weight. Limited exceptions: federal law or regulation requires height/weight standards for a specific position, or height/weight is an occupational necessity demonstrably essential to the position's core functions.
Authority: NYC Administrative Code § 8-107(a)(1) (NYC Human Rights Law); NYC Local Law 0209-A (Int. 0209-A, 2023, eff. Nov 22, 2023) — adds height and weight as protected classes
NYC Earned Safe and Sick Time Act — 2026 Expansion (ESSTA)
NYC
New York City ESSTA was significantly expanded effective February 22, 2026. Key changes: (1) 32 hours of safe and sick leave must be made IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE to employees at hire (no accrual waiting for first 32 hours). (2) Qualifying reasons expanded to include: bereavement, reproductive health decisions, care for an employee's own mental health, and care for an employee's chosen family member. (3) Anti-retaliation protections strengthened. Applies to all NYC employers regardless of size.
Authority: NYC Administrative Code §§ 20-912 et seq. (NYC Earned Safe and Sick Time Act / ESSTA, 2014, as amended); NYC Local Law 2025 (ESSTA 2026 expansion — 32-hr immediate availability rule); NYC DCWP guidance
Generate a New York-compliant handbook
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Federal requirements that also apply in New York
110 federal baseline policies span these areas — every Pacta handbook includes them.
Assignment / Placement Agreement · 10
DOT / FMCSA Compliance · 10
Arbitration Agreement · 8
Code of Conduct · 6
Benefits · 5
Confidentiality · 5
Offer Letter · 5
Employee Classification · 4
Pay / Payroll · 4
Safety / Workers' Comp · 4
Separation / Final Pay · 4
Introduction / At-Will · 3
Timekeeping · 3
Accommodation (Disability) · 2
Assignment Lifecycle · 2
Drug-Free / Alcohol · 2
EEO / Protected Classes · 2
Expense Reimbursement · 2
Harassment · 2
Hiring / Onboarding · 2
Remote Work · 2
Social Media / Recording · 2
Three-Party Relationship · 2
AI Tools · 1
Arbitration · 1
Bereavement · 1
Driving / Vehicles · 1
Emergency Procedures · 1
Employee Records · 1
FMLA / Family Leave · 1
Gifts / Anti-Bribery · 1
Jury Duty Leave · 1
Lactation / Nursing Mothers · 1
Meal / Rest Breaks · 1
Military Leave · 1
Overtime · 1
Paid Sick Leave · 1
Pay Transparency · 1
Pay Transparency Notice · 1
Pregnancy / Parental Leave · 1
Salary Basis / Safe Harbor · 1
Voting Leave · 1
New York handbook FAQ
Does New York require employers to have an employee handbook?
No U.S. state requires an employee handbook outright. But New York requires that a number of employment policies be provided to employees in writing, and a handbook is the standard, defensible way to do that. This page is informational only and is not legal advice.
What does a New York employee handbook need to include?
A compliant handbook layers New York-specific policies on top of the federal baseline (equal-opportunity, at-will, leave, anti-harassment, pay practices and more). The New York-specific items are listed on this page; the exact set depends on your headcount, industry, and the localities you operate in.
How do I create a compliant New York handbook?
Pacta's handbook generator builds a federal base plus a New York state addendum tailored to your company, then returns a formatted draft you can edit. Every draft must be reviewed by qualified employment counsel before you distribute it to employees.
Handbook requirements in other states
This page is general information about New York employment-policy requirements, not legal advice,
and may not reflect the most current law. AI-generated handbooks must be reviewed and approved by qualified
employment counsel licensed in the applicable jurisdiction(s) before distribution to employees.