NYC Comptroller Lander Launches Comprehensive Immigrant Workers Resource Guide

New York, NY — In celebration of National Immigrants Day, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and the Office’s Bureau of Labor Law released the Immigrant Workers Resource Guide, a comprehensive, informational tool designed to empower and inform immigrant workers on the labor protections afforded to them by City, State, and Federal labor law. This resource is part of the Comptroller’s Office’s ongoing commitment to ensure that every worker, regardless of immigration status, can access fair wages, safe working conditions, and justice in the workplace.

“For over 400 years, generations of immigrants have shaped what it means to be New Yorkers—from the words we speak, the foods we eat, the music we celebrate, to the neighborhoods we cherish,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “Yet unique challenges—such as language barriers, immigration status, and unfamiliarity with New York City’s services and protections—make it harder for exploited immigrant workers to access information and assert their rights in the workplace. I am proud to release this guide to serve as an informational roadmap for workers, community leaders, advocates, and service providers to better understand the protections available to immigrant workers across New York City.”

“Our office is deeply committed to enforcing and expanding labor protections for immigrant and low-wage workers through litigation, legislation, policy initiatives, outreach, and education,” said Claudia Henriquez, Director of Workers’ Rights at the Office of the Comptroller’s Bureau of Labor Law. “Our goal is to ensure that all New York City workers, including immigrants, know their rights to bargain for fair and safe workplaces. We hope that the Immigrant Workers Resource Guide will provide them with the tools and resources they need to protect themselves and thrive.”

The Immigrant Workers Resource Guide builds on the Comptroller’s Office’s continuous efforts to support and protect workers across New York City. The Comptroller’s Bureau of Labor Law enforces prevailing wage laws for construction workers on public projects, building service employees on properties receiving state tax benefits, and certain workers under city contracts. However, many immigrant workers remain unaware of the protections available to them under federal, state, and local laws.

In early September, the Comptroller’s Office launched the Employer Violations Dashboard, a searchable platform that allows the public to access information about private companies that have committed labor violations. The Dashboard revealed that between 2020 and 2023 local, state, and federal agencies investigating wage theft, found that hundreds of millions of dollars were owed to workers. Many of these violations disproportionately impact immigrant workers.

The Comptroller’s Office also released a report in late September, Safeguarding Outdoor Workers in a Changing Climate, providing recommendations on how to protect New York City workers in extreme heat and poor air quality. The report found that a third of New York City’s workforce work outdoors for prolonged periods of time, and these workers are disproportionately composed of non-citizen immigrants and Hispanic/Latino workers.

The Immigrant Workers Resource Guide includes:

• The Workers’ Bill of Rights, a comprehensive overview of labor laws and protections, created as a result of local legislation passed in November 2023 and sponsored by New York City Council Member Shahana Hanif, which mandated the City to compile worker protection laws and require that they be made accessible to workers.
• A directory of organizations that offer immigrant workers support in areas such as workforce development, legal assistance, and education.
• A section on Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement (DALE), a federal program that provides temporary immigration relief to non-citizen immigrant workers who experience or witness labor violations and support labor agencies’ investigations into such violations.
• A sample timesheet to help workers track their hours and document employer details.

The guide will be available in multiple languages online and distributed via community outreach programs, worksites, and partner organizations across the city.

If you would like to have your organization listed in the Immigrant Workers Resource Guide please fill out the form linked here.

Read the digital version of the Immigrant Workers Resource Guide here.

“I applaud the Comptroller’s work on creating ‘The Worker’s Resource Guide,’” said Council Member Alexa Aviles, Chair of Immigration Committee. “It is important to acknowledge and uplift the significant economic contribution of our city’s immigrants, who represent over 44% of our workforce, by providing necessary informational resources. While immigrants may be more vulnerable to exploitative labor practices, it is our collective responsibility to ensure our workforce has the information needed to remain secure in their employment, especially as our city continues to realize the significant economic contributions of our immigrant population.”

“We are happy that for the first time the Comptroller’s Office is launching an Immigrants Workers Resource Guide that includes Adhikaar, the only one organization working for immigrant and workers’ rights issues in the USA for the Nepali speaking community. We are feeling honored to be part of this project. Collaboratively we can make differences in the community and bring diversity and inclusion, and real justice for all immigrants,” said Narbada Chhetri, Co-Executive Director of Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice.

“African Services Committee is glad to support efforts to make work safer and more equitable for our newest neighbors. We look forward to sharing the Immigrant Workers Resource Guide with our community,” said Emily Goldberg-Hall, Director of Health Initiatives for the African Services Committee.

“The Asian American Federation is proud to be part of the Immigrant Workers Resource Guide. New York has for long welcomed people from all over the globe who come here seeking a better life, and we commend the Comptroller’s effort to uphold the promise of supporting immigrants in their pursuit of a brighter future,” said Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director of Asian American Federation. “By providing immigrant workers with essential information about their rights and the support available to them, this guide will serve a practical resource for immigrants, helping them to navigate their work environments with confidence.”

“Carroll Gardens Association joins our partners in domestic worker and immigrant justice in applauding the Comptroller’s office in the creation of the Immigrant Workers’ Resource Guide,” said Ben Fuller-Googins, Deputy Director of the Carroll Gardens Association. “Immigrant workers are essential to our City and yet are consistently excluded from accessing critical information and resources. This Guide will enable workers to learn about key protections and help connect them to community organizations like ours that offer needed support, resources, and advocacy. The creation of this guide is an important step in building a more equitable and just New York City for all.”

“Catholic Migration Services applauds the NYC Comptrollers Office for its publication of the Immigrant Workers’ Resource Guide.  Workers who are informed of their rights are better able to protect themselves and to seek redress of workplace violations of the various laws that protect workers in New York City,” said Magdalena Barbosa, Director of Legal Services at Catholic Migration Services.

“CREA es una organización que está abierta a cualquier adulto hispano que desee continuar sus estudios en español en la Ciudad de Nueva York. Esta guía de recursos para trabajadores inmigrantes, permitirá que en un solo documento haya información de diversas áreas y esto ayudará a que el trabajador tenga mayores espacios para elegir. Será una valiosa guía,” said María Guadalupe Martínez, Executive Director of Centro de Recursos Educativos para Adultos (CREA).

“The Chinese-American Planning Council has supported immigrant workers and their families for nearly 60 years, providing vital resources, including job training, know-your-rights, and adult education services. As we continue our long tradition of empowering and advocating our community members in their workplaces, we are proud to partner with New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and the Office’s Bureau of Labor Law to be a part of the Immigrant Workers Resource Guide,” said Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council.

“Immigrant workers are the lifeblood of New York City. Our community builds housing, keeps restaurants open, creates vibrant neighborhoods, and contributes millions of dollars in local tax revenue—yet are disproportionately victims of labor violations and unscrupulous business practices. We are grateful to the Comptroller’s Office for putting together this essential resource that educates immigrant workers on their rights, and will not stop fighting until all New Yorkers have the safe and dignified workplaces that they deserve,” said Jose Lopez, Co-Executive Director at Make the Road New York.

“The Workers’ Justice Project applauds NYC Comptroller Brad Lander for the launch of the Immigrant Workers’ Resource Guide, a crucial resource for low-wage and immigrant workers seeking to learn about their labor protections as outlined in the NYC Workers’ Bill of Rights and Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement. This guide empowers workers by equipping them with the knowledge to organize and assert their rights without fear. We commend this initiative for ensuring that New York City’s workers are informed and connected to the resources they need to uphold their rights and dignity in the workplace,” said Ligia Guallpa, Executive Director of Worker’s Justice Project (WJP).

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El Contralor Lander de la Ciudad de Nueva York Lanza Guía Exhaustiva de Recursos para Trabajadores Inmigrantes

Ciudad de Nueva York, NY — Debido a la celebración del Día Nacional de los y las Inmigrantes, el Contralor de la Ciudad de Nueva York Brad Lander y la Oficina de Derecho Laboral de la Contraloría de la Ciudad de Nueva York lanzan la Guía de Recursos para Trabajadores Inmigrantes. La guía es una herramienta informativa diseñada para empoderar e informar a los trabadores inmigrantes sobre la exhaustiva lista de leyes laborales creadas a nivel municipal, estatal y federal. Este recurso es parte del compromiso continuo que la Contraloría tiene con los trabajadores para asegurar que los trabajadores inmigrantes puedan acceder a salarios justos, condiciones de trabajo seguras, y justicia en sus lugares de trabajo, sin importar su estatus migratorio.

“Por mas de 400 años, generaciones de inmigrantes han moldeado lo que significa ser un Neoyorquino – desde las palabras que hablamos, a las comidas que comemos, desde la música que festejamos, hasta los barrios que estimamos,” dijo el Contralor Brad Lander. “Sin embargo, retos únicos – tales como barreras de lenguaje, estatus migratorio, poca familiaridad con los servicios y protecciones ofrecidas por la Ciudad de Nueva York – hacen que el acceso a la información y la capacidad de hacer valer sus derechos sea difícil para los trabajadores inmigrantes. Estoy orgulloso de lanzar esta guía que servirá como un mapa informativo para trabajadores, lideres comunitarios, defensores y proveedores de servicios para entender mejor las protecciones laborales disponibles para los trabajadores inmigrantes a través de la Ciudad de Nueva York.”

“Mi oficina esta profundamente comprometida con hacer valer y expandir los derechos laborales para los trabajadores que ganan salarios bajos y los trabajadores inmigrantes a través de herramientas tales como litigio, legislación, iniciativas de políticas publicas, investigación y educación,” dijo Claudia Henriquez, Directora de la Oficina de Derecho Laboral de la Contraloría de la Ciudad de Nueva York. “Nuestra meta es asegurar que todos los trabajadores y trabajadoras, incluyendo inmigrantes, conozcan sus derechos laborales para que puedan negociar condiciones de trabajo justas y espacios de trabajo seguros. Esperamos que la Guía de Recursos para Trabajadores Inmigrantes les provea las herramientas y recursos necesarios para que se protejan a si mismos y prosperen.”

La Guía de Recursos para Trabajadores Inmigrantes se basa en los esfuerzos constantes que la Contraloría de la Ciudad de Nueva York lleva a cabo para apoyar y proteger a los trabajadores a través de la ciudad. La Oficina de Derecho Laboral hace cumplir las leyes de salario prevaleciente para trabajadores de la construcción de proyectos públicos, empleados de servicios en propiedades que reciben ciertos beneficios fiscales, y algunos trabajadores bajo contratos públicos con la ciudad. Sin embargo, muchos trabajadores inmigrantes no están al tanto sobre las protecciones laborales disponibles para ellos a nivel federal, estatal y local.

A comienzos de septiembre, la Contraloría lanzó el Panel De Infracciones del Empleador, una plataforma de búsqueda que le permite al público acceder a información sobre violaciones laborales cometidas por empleadores privados. El Panel reveló que entre 2020 y 2023, agencias locales, estatales y federales que investigaron casos de robo de salario, descubrieron que en total cientos de millones de dólares eran debidos a trabajadores. Muchas de estas violaciones afectan de manera desproporcionada a los trabajadores inmigrantes.

La Contraloría de la Ciudad de Nueva York, también publicó el reporte Cómo Proteger a los Trabajadores al Aire Libre en un Clima Cambiante,el cual provee recomendaciones sobre cómo proteger a los trabajadores de la ciudad que cumplen deberes bajo condiciones de calor extrema y mala calidad de aire. El reporte halló que un tercio de la fuerza laboral de la Ciudad de Nueva York trabaja al aire libre por periodos prolongados, y este grupo de trabajadores esta compuesto desproporcionadamente por trabajadores inmigrantes no-ciudadanos, hispanos/latinos.

La Guía de Recursos para Trabajadores Inmigrantes incluye:

• La Declaración de los Derechos de los Trabajadores, una descripción general de las leyes y protecciones laborales creadas gracias a la legislación local liderada por la concejala Shahana Hanif, la cual fue sancionada en noviembre de 2023, y ordena a la Ciudad de Nueva York a compilar las leyes laborales y hacer que estas leyes sean disponibilizadas a los trabajadores.
• Un directorio de organizaciones que ofrecen apoyo a los trabajadores inmigrantes, en áreas tales como desarrollo profesional, asistencia legal y educación.
• Una sección sobre Acción Diferida para el Cumplimiento de las Leyes Laborales (DALE, por sus siglas en ingles), un programa federal que provee alivio migratorio temporal a los trabajadores inmigrantes no-ciudadanos que experimenten o sean testigos de violaciones laborales, y apoyen en las investigaciones de dichas violaciones.
• Una planilla de hoja de horas para que los trabajadores puedan anotar sus horas de trabajo y documentar detalles e información sobre sus empleadores.

La guía estará disponible en el sitio web de la Contraloría de la Ciudad de Nueva York en múltiples idiomas y será distribuida a través de programas de alcance comunitario, en lugares de trabajo, y organizaciones comunitarias de la ciudad.

Si usted quisiera que su organización sea incluida en el directorio de la Guía de Recursos para Trabajadores Inmigrantes, por favor, llene este formulario. Agencias de gobierno y organizaciones comunitarias pueden pedir copias impresas de la guía aquí.

Lea la versión digital de la Guía de Recursos para Trabajadores Inmigrantes aquí.

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