Groups representing New York City industries are sounding the alarm about a new City Council proposal aimed at businesses, saying it will tie up firms in unnecessary red tape and additional costs when posting job notices.
The bill introduced by Queens Councilwoman Selevena Brooks-Powers would go way beyond the law that took effect in 2022, requiring companies to reveal salary ranges on job postings, aimed at helping close the gender wage gap.
The new measure, Intro 808-B, would force employers to document the reason for offering a job applicant a salary amount outside the listed range — and retain such records for three years.
“New York already has one of the nation’s most heavily regulated business environments and most expensive litigation environments,” business advocates said in an Aug. 4 letter to the Council, obtained by The Post.
“Continuing to impose legal and regulatory burdens without regard to their impact on employers will have significant consequences for economic activity in the city.”
The legislation would require that job listings, aside from providing a description of the position, also detail information on promotions or transfer opportunities, along with the benefits available for the gig.
Compensation information required to be included in the posting would also include bonuses, benefits, stocks, bonds, options, and equity or ownership, if any.
Employers would be forced to disclose compensation information to current workers annually and upon request, for any equal or substantially similar positions to their current one, according to the bill.
“Many small businesses do not maintain formal job descriptions and, in industries like restaurants, employees are often expected to perform multiple roles based on daily needs,” the letter said.
“It is unclear how these mandates would advance gender pay equity,” the missive continued.
“All of these requirements would be impossible to implement without human resources professionals and legal counsel. Many small businesses have neither, and requiring them to consult these professionals is cost-prohibitive and unrealistic.”
The letter was signed by the chambers of commerce, the NYC Partnership, NYS Restaurant Association, Hotel Association of NYC, Real Estate Board of NY, the Building Congress, and the Retail Council, among others.
Nonprofit employers oppose the bill as another unfunded government mandate, sources said.
The legislation is scheduled to be voted on in September, a source briefed on the measure said.
Brooks-Powers defended the bill and intends to pass it after getting input from the business community and others.
“We’ve spent the past several months engaging a broad range of stakeholders to carefully shape and revise Introduction 808. Our goal has always been to strike the right balance: advancing pay equity for workers while ensuring the bill is clear and implementable for businesses of all sizes,” Brooks-Powers said.
“We have made numerous amendments to address concerns raised by the business community, and the current version of the bill includes specific provisions designed to ease compliance for small businesses.”
She said the legislation builds on the city existing wage transparency law and “moves us closer to closing racial and gender pay gaps that persist in our economy.”
The councilwoman thanked the Partnership for New York City for hosting roundtable discussions to get input from business interests as well as advocates for their support.
“We are proud of the thoughtful, collaborative process that brought us here, and we are committed to moving this bill forward,” Brooks-Powers said.
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