Employment agencies
Workers' Rights
Yes. An employment agency is any person or business that charges a fee to find a job. The law requires all employment agencies to be licensed by:
- New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, in New York City
- New York State Commissioner of Labor, in the rest of the state
Employment agencies are required to prominently display their license.
Yes. The agency is only allowed to charge or accept a fee (or anything else) to a job applicant both:
- in accordance with a written contract — except for Class A or Class A1 workers
- after the agency refers the applicant to an opportunity that results in the person being hired
The agency must give the applicant a copy of the contract, and is not allowed to charge just to register an applicant. For Class A or Class A1 workers only, the agency is allowed to require a deposit or advance fee, but it must return that deposit or advance fee immediately on demand if the job applicant has not yet found a job, and must refund any excess above the maximum legal fee immediately when a job is found. The agency must give the job applicant a receipt for any fee, deposit or other payment.
| If the job is as a: | Then the maximum fee allowed is: |
|---|---|
| "Class A" - domestic, household employee, unskilled or untrained manual worker | 10% of the first full month’s wages if no meals or lodging are provided (12%, 14% or 18% if the employer provides one meal, two meals or three meals and lodging each day) |
| “Class A1” – non-professional trained or skilled industrial worker or mechanic | one week’s wages, if the job is for at least ten weeks; otherwise, 10% of the wages actually received |
| “Class B” – most other jobs, except theatrical and nursing jobs which have special rules | a sliding scale, depending on the wage – 25% of the first full month’s wages if those are less than $750, up to 60% of the first full month’s wages if those are more than $1650 |
Yes. Employment agencies must provide applicants with a receipt for any fee or deposit. The receipt must be signed by the person who received the payment, and must show:
- the name of the applicant
- the name and address of the employment agency
- the date and amount of the fee or deposit
- the purpose of the fee or deposit
Yes. Employment agencies must provide applicants with a copy of any contract entered between the employment agency and the applicant.
Yes. It is illegal for an employment agency to refer an applicant to a job that the agency knows, or reasonably should have known, pays less than the minimum wage or is violating other state or federal wage or child labor laws, including overtime laws.
Yes. The New York State Human Rights Law applies to employment agencies and prohibits discrimination based on age, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, or marital status. For more information about the law visit the Division of Human Rights.