New York City Announces Recovery of $2 Million on Behalf of More than a Hundred Workers

On March 24th, 2026, the New York City Office of the Mayor announced the successful recovery of more than $2 million on behalf of approximately 800 workers. The employees were largely in the retail industry and the food service industry. The settlement is to resolve violations of the City’s Fair Workweek Law. Within this article, our New York City wage and hour lawyer provides a comprehensive overview of the enforcement action and local fair workweek law in the City.

Enforcement Action Recovers Compensation for NYC Workers

The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection announced that it succeeded in more than $2 million in relief for approximately 800 workers following an investigation into scheduling practices in the retail and food service sectors. The recovery stems from alleged violations of the City’s Fair Workweek Law. Investigators focused on employer practices:

• Altered schedules on short notice;
• Failed to provide required advance notice; and/or
• Denied employees the predictability protections mandated by New York law.

New York City officials structured the wage and hour settlement to include back pay, schedule change premiums, and other statutory remedies. To be clear, this means that the affected employers did not merely pay unpaid wages. They were also required to compensate workers for the instability caused by unlawful scheduling practices in question.

An Overview of the New York City Workweek Law

New York City’s Fair Workweek Law sets up very strict scheduling obligations on covered employers in both the retail industry and the fast food industry. Retail employers must provide employees with written work schedules at least 72 hours in advance. Retail workers also benefit from “on-call” scheduling restrictions. Employers cannot require employees to remain available for work without guaranteed compensation. Fast food employers face a more complex regulatory scheme. They must provide good faith estimates of weekly hours upon hire and issue schedules at least 14 days in advance.

Once posted, those schedules are effectively locked into place. Employers may not cancel shifts, add shifts, or modify start and end times within that window without violating the statute. Enforcement of the local law rests with the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. The agency has the power to investigate complaints, issue violations, and negotiate settlements. Employers that violate the wage and hour law can face civil penalties, payment of restitution, and injunctive relief requiring policy changes. Notably, each unlawful schedule modification can constitute a separate violation. That means that a single systemic scheduling practice can lead to many viable employee claims against an employer.

Speak to Our New York City Employment Lawyer Today

At Poulos LoPiccolo PC, our New York City employment attorney is a knowledgeable, experienced advocate for clients. If you have any questions about wage and hours laws in New York City, please do not hesitate to contact us today for a completely confidential initial consultation. We handle wage and hour cases throughout the surrounding region.

Source:

nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/mamdani-administration-secures-nearly–2m-in-restitution-for-800