As a resident or employee of Long Island you have specialized labor laws within your community. Some of these are controversial and some employers try to find a way out of them, or disregard them completely. These laws are here for your protection and if you believe that an employer is not in compliance you need to report them or seek the advice of an employment attorney that is well versed in the labor laws of Long Island. Here are some of these local labor laws.
Living Wages
Minimum wage applies to everyone no matter their profession or job title. Living wages are there to protect the employees at a local level who contribute to the community, yet still are vulnerable to exploitation and under payment. Living wages raise the minimum for these workers to account for inflation and cost of living while improving the local community and economy. The law states that any company receiving local government contracts, subsidies or tax breaks must pay their employees enough money to keep a family of four out of poverty and differs for employers who do or do not provide health insurance. If you believe that you are eligible for living wages but are not receiving them you can contact an employment attorney who will advise you on what further steps to take.
Prevailing Wages
Prevailing wages apply to construction workers who work on government projects as well as some other jobs critical to the community. Prevailing wages means a set rate of pay for everyone working on the job and is considerably higher than their current hourly wage. For example, a brick layer may make 18 dollars per hour at his normal rate, but when he works on the construction site for local government offices or road and bridge projects he would receive 32 dollars per hour or the going prevailing wage rate. This increases employee productivity, quality of work and eliminates the need for contractors to underbid and underpay their workers just to win the job.
Triborough Amendment
The Triborough Amendment protects workers in the public sector by forcing the employer to maintain the provisions of an expired contract until another agreement is reached. This law particularly benefits teachers as there is a specific clause that increases their pay based on experience. Basically the longer they work for the district the more money they make. This keeps school districts from basing pay on unfair employee evaluations and forces them to give their employees the raises they deserve. This increases motivation on the job, is said to improve the education system and prevents against strikes.
To learn more about labor laws in Long Island or to make a claim against an employer, contact Jaspan Schlesinger LLP. They have a team of highly specialized employment attorneys that will work to make sure that you are compensated for any infringed labor rights and that you are educated in order to protect yourself in the future. Visit them on the web at Jaspanllp.com or call their office at 516-746-8000.
