New York City Requires Workers' Bill of Rights Poster Under Local Law 161

What Changed

New York City enacted Local Law 161, which took effect on January 2, 2024, requiring all NYC employers to display and distribute a multilingual "Know Your Rights at Work" poster. The poster, developed by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), serves as a comprehensive Workers' Bill of Rights. It features the phrase "Know your rights at work" in twelve languages and includes a QR code directing workers to the DCWP's Workers' Bill of Rights webpage, which consolidates information on local, state, and federal labor and employment laws.

This is not a routine poster revision — it is an entirely new posting and distribution requirement created by the City Council.

Who Is Affected

All employers operating within New York City are subject to this requirement, regardless of employer size or industry. The obligation extends to every employee working at an NYC worksite, including full-time, part-time, and temporary workers.

Employers must provide the poster in English as well as any other primary language spoken by at least five percent of their workforce, provided DCWP has made the poster available in that language.

Where It Applies

This requirement applies to all five boroughs of New York City. It is a city-level ordinance and applies to employees who perform work within NYC, regardless of the employer's headquarters location.

Note: This does not apply to New York State broadly — only to New York City.

When It Takes Effect

Local Law 161 took effect January 2, 2024, with a compliance deadline of July 1, 2024. Specifically:

By July 1, 2024, employers must conspicuously post the poster at all NYC worksites
By July 1, 2024, employers must distribute a copy to every current employee
After July 1, 2024, employers must provide a copy to all new hires on or before their first day of work
Employers must also make the poster available on any digital platform used to communicate with employees (e.g., company intranet or app)

Enforcement begins July 1, 2024, through a complaint-based system administered by DCWP.

Why It Matters

This law reflects New York City's broader push to ensure workers understand their existing protections under a patchwork of local, state, and federal employment laws. The penalty structure is designed to encourage compliance: first-time violators receive a 30-day cure period with no fine. However, employers who fail to correct the violation or commit a second offense face a $500 civil penalty per violation.

The distribution requirement is notable — this goes beyond simply hanging a poster on a breakroom wall. Employers must actively hand the poster to each employee and make it available digitally. This multi-channel distribution requirement is relatively aggressive compared to typical posting mandates.

The Humareso Take

This is one of those updates that looks simple on the surface but has teeth if you ignore it. The poster itself is straightforward to obtain — DCWP provides it free of charge — but the distribution requirements are broader than most employers expect. You need to post it physically, hand it to every current employee, give it to new hires on day one, and put it on your intranet. If you have employees who speak languages other than English, you need multilingual versions too. Our recommendation: get this done well ahead of the July 1 deadline and document your distribution for your records.

Recommended Action Steps

Download the "Know Your Rights at Work" poster from the NYC DCWP website in English and in any additional languages spoken by at least 5% of your NYC workforce.
Post the poster conspicuously at every NYC worksite in a location where employees can easily see it, such as a breakroom, near the time clock, or at building entrances.
Distribute a copy to every current NYC employee before July 1, 2024, and document the distribution with an acknowledgment or distribution log.
Update your onboarding process to include providing the poster to all new hires on or before their first day of work.
Publish the poster digitally on your company intranet, employee app, or any other platform you use to communicate with employees.
Contact your Humareso representative to confirm your NYC posting and distribution obligations are fully met before the compliance deadline.