Legislative Memo: EMPIRE Worker Protection Act

Over the past decade, New York has enacted several truly historic pieces of legislation such that New Yorkers now find themselves protected by some of the most progressive labor laws in the nation – including increases to the minimum wage, paid family leave, paid sick time, workplace protections against airborne infectious disease, expanded rights for domestic workers and farmworkers, and enhanced protections against sexual harassment. These laws are rendered meaningless, however, without robust enforcement. The EMPIRE Worker Protection Act would significantly increase the state’s capacity to enforce labor standards and critical workers’ rights protections by creating a mechanism that allows private individuals to bring whistleblower lawsuits on behalf of the State. To ensure meaningful enforcement of crucial labor laws and safeguard recent legislative accomplishments, the New York Civil Liberties Union calls on the state legislature to pass the EMPIRE Worker Protection Act.