New York

Under New York State Labor Law, contractors and subcontractors must pay the prevailing rate of wage and supplements (fringe benefits) to all workers under a public work contract. Employers must pay the prevailing wage rate set for the locality where the work is performed. Prevailing wage is the pay rate set by law for work on public work projects. This applies to all laborers, workers or mechanics employed under a public work contract. The Bureau of Public Work administers Articles 8 and 9 of the New York State Labor Laws: Article 8 covers public construction and Article 9 covers building service contracts.

Compliance Tips:

  • New York issues wage schedules on a county-by-county basis. They contain the pay rates for each work classification. Under State law, all contracts between a government entity and a contractor must contain these schedules.
  • Upon the awarding of the contract, the law requires that the Department of Jurisdiction (Contracting Agency) furnish the following information to the Bureau: the name and address of the contractor, the date the contract was let, and the approximate dollar value of the contract. To facilitate compliance with this provision of the Labor Law, a copy of the Department’s Notice of Contract Award form (PW-16) is provided with the original Prevailing Rate Schedule.
  • No laborer, worker, or mechanic in the employ of a contractor or subcontractor engaged in the performance of any public work project shall be permitted to work more than eight hours in any day or more than five days in any week, except in cases of extraordinary emergency. The contractor and the Department of Jurisdiction (Contracting Agency) may apply to the Bureau of Public Work for a dispensation permitting workers to work additional hours or days per week on a particular public work project.
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