Paid care workers include home care and domestic workers such as:

  • Nannies
  • Caregivers
  • Home health aides
  • Personal care aides
  • Home attendants
  • House cleaners

Paid care workers and employers in New York City can contact the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) about:

  • Legal rights for workers
  • Legal responsibilities for employers
  • Workplace questions
  • Workplace complaints
  • Resources
  • Domestic Worker Mediation Program (for domestic workers and employers only)

You can also ask questions online, by email, or by phone.

Online

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
  • Division: Office of Labor Policy and Standards
  • Phone Number: (212) 436-0380
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM
  • Phone assistance is available, but some calls may go straight to voice mail. Please leave a detailed message and a representative will contact you. As an alternative, visit nyc.gov/workers.

The Domestic Worker Mediation Program is a respectful, confidential, and free way to resolve workplace issues without going to court. The program is a partnership between DCWP and the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution at the NYC Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH).

Who Takes Part

  • Domestic worker (any worker who works directly for a private household in NYC)
  • Household employer
  • Mediator (provided by the City)
  • DCWP attorney

What It Covers

Mediation is for workplace issues related to:

  • Unpaid wages
  • Minimum wage and overtime
  • Paid Safe and Sick Leave
  • Retaliation

How It Works

A DCWP staff member will interview the worker and employer to:

  • Identify workplace issues
  • Inform them of their rights and obligations
  • Collect information and documents
  • Help them decide whether mediation is the right path

Mediation is voluntary. If both the worker and employer agree to mediation, a neutral mediator from the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution at OATH will work with the worker and employer to understand the issues and reach an agreement that is fair for everyone. A DCWP staff member and worker or employer representatives may also participate.

Domestic workers or employers can request more information or make an appointment.

Online

Learn more about the mediation program.

By Email

OLPS@dcwp.nyc.gov

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
  • Division: Office of Labor Policy and Standards
  • Phone Number: (212) 436-0380
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM
  • Phone assistance is available, but some calls may go straight to voice mail. Please leave a detailed message and a representative will contact you. As an alternative, visit nyc.gov/workers.

The Paid Care Division is dedicated to:

  • Defending the rights of paid care workers
  • Improving the quality of paid care jobs
  • Strengthening the paid care system

The Division supports paid care workers and employers in NYC through:

  • Public outreach to inform workers about their rights and available City resources
  • Complaint intake and referrals to address workplace violations at the local, state, and federal levels
  • Research and policy development on worker demographics, working conditions, and industry standards
  • Research and policy development on employer compliance with workplace laws, and the effectiveness of worker cooperatives

Learn more about resources available to paid care workers.

  Was this information helpful?   Yes    No