Comptroller Lander Appoints Claudia Henriquez as Director of Workers Rights

New York, NY – New York City Comptroller Brad Lander announced the appointment of Claudia Henriquez as the new Director of Workers Rights, a new position tasked with expanding the office’s role in labor outreach, enforcement, and advocacy on behalf of New York City workers. The new Director of Workers Rights will oversee the enforcement of prevailing and living wage laws, expand workers’ rights through legislative, policy, procurement, and corporate shareholder engagement initiatives, and strengthen the office’s outreach strategies to educate New Yorkers on their labor rights.

The Office of the New York City Comptroller, through its Bureau of Labor Law, is mandated under State law to set and enforce prevailing wage and benefit rates for workers, laborers and mechanics employed on New York City public works projects as well as building service employees on City contracts and certain properties that receive tax exemptions. This past October, the Comptroller’s Office, alongside Attorney General Letitia James, announced a settlement to return more than $723,000 in unpaid wages and benefits to 24 workers, as well as $1.8 million dollars in fines to the City and State.

In her new role, Henriquez will build on that work to strengthen workers’ rights through cross-departmental initiatives that utilize other tools in the Comptroller’s office. The Comptroller’s Bureau of Asset Management recently announced shareholder resolutions at Starbuck and Apple to support workers’ freedom of association to form a union and led efforts to address poor workforce management at Amazon last year. Recent legislation charges the Comptroller’s Office with investigations of the City’s new non-profit labor peace law. And under Lander’s leadership, the office began providing policy support for legislative initiatives, such as raising the minimum wage, protections against unfair firing, fair pay and protections for independent contractors, and ending forced arbitration.

“New York City’s economic recovery rests on the wellbeing of workers – when workers have living wages and job stability, businesses and our economy overall thrives. I am excited to welcome Claudia Henriquez to our team and eager for the Comptroller’s Office to take a leading role, under her guidance, in ensuring better pay, protections against wage theft, secure jobs, and freedom of association for all workers. Our Bureau of Labor Law works hard to ensure that New Yorkers working on construction of public works projects and building service workers receive the wages they deserve, and we are eager to build on that work to secure economic security for New Yorkers across industries,” said Comptroller Brad Lander.

Claudia Henriquez brings two decades of experience in labor rights advocacy and enforcement both in and outside government. As the director of litigation at the Office of Labor Policy and Standards of the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, Henriquez over saw the enforcement of municipal labor laws including the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act and the Fair Work Week Law. In the State Attorney General’s office, she pursued investigations and policy changes to combat wage theft against low wage workers. Prior to joining New York state and city government, Henriquez worked at legal aid organizations in Virginia and Florida handling wage and hour litigation for low-wage immigrant workers and pursued legislative advocacy as a staff attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

“New York City workers in the construction and building services industries already turn to the Comptroller’s office for help fighting wage theft. Workers across industries will benefit from groundbreaking policy changes like the Secure Jobs Act, expanded enforcement capacity, and investor advocacy with private companies. I am excited to hit the ground running with the attorneys, investment staff, and researchers at the Comptroller’s office to advance this vision for expanding the office’s role in labor outreach and enforcement on behalf of New Yorkers,” said Claudia Henriquez, incoming Director of Workers Rights.

The Director of Workers Rights will report to Chief Strategy Officer Alison Hirsh, and will oversee the Bureau of Labor Law and build a new multidisciplinary team focused on research, advocacy, and engagement to expand workers’ rights in New York City.

“With the hiring of Claudia Henriquez and the creation of the Director of Workers Rights position, the Comptroller’s Office is further strengthening its role as a leading defender of the rights of New York workers. We are very excited to welcome Claudia and eager to build on the work to protect hard-earned wages and quality of life,” said Alison Hirsh. Hirsh was recently promoted to Chief Strategy Officer and in this role, represents the Comptroller’s office on the five public pension fund boards, advises the Comptroller and the Chief Investment Officer on strategy, and oversees the office’s pensions, ESG, and labor policy work.

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