NY toughens penalties for employer retaliation

ALBANY -- New York workers who want to report they've been underpaid or mistreated on the job are getting stronger protection against retaliation by their employers under a new law that goes into effect this week.

The law toughens penalties for employers that go after employees who report violations to the state Labor Department.

The minimum civil penalty against employers has increased from $200 to $2,000. The maximum increases from $1,000 to $10,000.

State labor law has long prohibited retaliation, but the new law strengthens the protections.

In some cases, employers have reacted to employee claims by cutting pay, or by firing, demoting or reassigning the worker.

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