Relates to mandatory employer disclosures regarding employee compensation and benefits, including any non-salary or non-wage compensation and benefits.
A05906, titled the “Benefit Transparency Act,” expands New York’s existing job-posting pay transparency law to require employers and employment agencies to disclose more than just salary ranges. For covered job, promotion, and transfer opportunities performed at least partly in New York, postings would also have to identify other forms of compensation the position may be eligible for, including bonuses, stock, bonds, options, equity, or ownership interests, and provide a general description of expected benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, disability insurance, and paid family leave. The bill also requires a job description to be included, and it extends disclosure obligations to certain out-of-state jobs that report to a New York supervisor, office, or work site.
The bill would amend Labor Law section 194-b and significantly broaden employer disclosure duties in hiring and internal mobility processes. It creates new recordkeeping requirements when an employer offers a salary outside the posted range, requires disclosure of compensation and benefits information to current employees upon request, and obligates employers to provide detailed benefit-plan information to successful applicants within five business days of an offer. It also adds anti-retaliation protections, authorizes complaints and civil penalties for violations, directs the Labor Commissioner to issue implementing rules, and requires public outreach. The bill expressly states it does not preempt local laws, so municipal pay-transparency rules could continue to operate alongside the state law.
The available voting history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill in committee, with unanimous or near-unanimous support in the Labor and Codes committees and a narrower but still favorable vote in Rules. The bill’s framing as a transparency and worker-information measure likely contributes to that support, especially among sponsors and members focused on wage equity and informed job seeking. No committee transcript is provided, so the record here reflects the votes more than any detailed floor debate.
The main points of contention appear to be the breadth and administrative burden of the disclosure requirements. Employers may object to having to disclose non-salary compensation, detailed benefit-plan terms, and maintain records explaining out-of-range salary offers, especially for positions with variable or discretionary compensation structures. The bill also reaches certain jobs outside New York if they report into New York, which could raise compliance concerns for multi-state employers. The 19-9 Rules Committee vote indicates some resistance, likely centered on these implementation and business-compliance issues, even though the measure advanced.