February 24, 2026
New Employer Obligations at a Glance for 2026
Here is a quick recap of new employment laws in New York and New Jersey that are going into effect this year. More details are available in this newsletter, our previous newsletters, or The Book Report | Book Law published on our website.
New York Employers:
Minimum Wage & Overtime Thresholds: New York State’s minimum wage and overtime salary thresholds increased as of January 1, 2026.
NYS Tip Credit, Meal Credits, and Uniform Allowances: Effective January 1, 2026, New York State increased the required cash wages and allowable tip credits for tipped workers, and adjusted meal credits and uniform maintenance allowances under the State’s wage orders.
NYC Delivery Worker Protections: Effective January 26, 2026, New York City established minimum pay and safety standards for grocery delivery workers.
NYC Additional Unpaid Sick Leave: Starting February 22, 2026, NYC employers must provide an additional 32 hours of unpaid leave to all employees.
Paid Prenatal Leave: As a reminder, since January 1, 2025, employers in New York State have been required to provide eligible employees with 20 hours of paid prenatal leave in addition to other sick leave. NYC added this requirement to its sick leave law in July 2025.
NYS Credit Check Limitations: Effective April 18, 2026, employers in New York State will be restricted from requesting or using the consumer credit histories of applicants or employees.
NYC Construction Safety Training Expanded: Starting May 3, 2026, construction workers and supervisors in NYC must complete two (2) additional credits of training on mental health & suicide prevention, and on alcohol and substance abuse risks as part of their Site Safety Training.
NYS Trapped at Work Act: As of December 19, 2026, employers in New York State will be prohibited from conditioning employment on agreements to repay the employer for certain costs if the employee leaves employment before a specified period of time.
NYC Aland Etienne Safety & Security Act: Private-sector security guards in NYC will be entitled to increased wages, paid time off, and benefits at the start of 2027, 2028, and 2029, respectively.
New Jersey Employers:
Minimum Wage:New Jersey’s minimum wage increased as of January 1, 2026.
New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Must be Tracked: On January 28, 2026, New Jersey’s highest court decided that if an employer fails to properly track earned sick leave, it may be presumed that the employer didn’t provide required leave, which could result in significant liability for the employer.
New Jersey Expands its Mandatory Retirement Plan Law: Effective April 20, 2026, employers with as few as 10 employees will be required to offer retirement plans to their employees.
New Jersey Expands its Family Leave Act: Effective July 17, 2026, employers with 15 employees will be required to provide leave under the New Jersey Family Leave Act, and employees may be eligible after working at least 250 hours during the 3 months prior to their leave.
Flexibility in Using Paid Leave Benefits: Starting July 17, 2026, New Jersey will allow employees who are eligible for both earned sick leave and Temporary Disability or Family Leave Insurance benefits to decide which benefits to take and the order in which to take them.
If you have any questions about your rights and obligations under federal, New York or New Jersey employment laws, please reach out to Chaim Book at cbook@booklawllp.com, Sheryl Galler at sgaller@booklawllp.com, Rebecca Nathanson at rnathanson@booklawllp.com, or Charlotte Pramer at cpramer@booklawllp.com.
