BILL NUMBER: S1997A
SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to enacting the "standing is
tiring (sit) act"
 
PURPOSE:
To enhance workplace safety and performance by allowing employees who
are reasonably able to sit during their jobs the option to do so.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Sets name for this act as the Standing Is Tiring (SIT) Act.
Section 2: Amends the labor law to require employers to provide seats to
all employees where the job reasonably allows seated work, to prohibit
employers from designing workplaces to require standing where not neces-
sary, to require the Department of Labor to promulgate standards whether
the nature of an employee's work reasonably permits sitting, to require
the Department to establish an online form on its website for employees
to file complaints, and to establish a right of action again employers
who fail to meet these requirements.
Section 3: Sets the effective date.
**The amendments to this version of the bill to add definitions for what
employees, employers, and covered industries are covered by this bill,
adds requirements for anti-fatigue mats in stations where work is not
able to be done sitting down, and directs the department to establish an
online form and complaint process for employees.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Employees in many settings, especially retail and food service, are
required to stand for their entire shift. Employers often assert that
this is necessary for reasons associated with professionalism, efficien-
cy, and business needs. It is often necessary to stand while performing
work, but it also true that prolonged standing with minimal or no breaks
is not a necessity in many workplaces. According to a review by the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, prolonged stand-
ing at work can even lead to numerous negative health outcomes. They
cite studies showing that prolonged standing lower back pain, fatigue,
muscle pain, tiredness, and body soreness, and can even pose risks of
cardiovascular problems and other serious issues. There are many changes
that employers can make to allow employees more options besides simply
standing for hours on end during their shifts. The simplest of these is
to provide employees who are reasonably able to perform their work
sitting the option to do so. This legislation presents a reasonable step
in this direction: requiring employers to provide employees who can sit
with the ability to do so and preventing employers from constructing
workplaces to force prolonged standing unnecessarily. This simple
change to New York's labor laws will provide relief for many of our
hardest working neighbors.
 
FISCAL IMPACT:
To be determined.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New legislation.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
One year after becoming law.