Manual workers must be paid weekly. Damages were curtailed in 2025.
New York Labor Law § 191(1)(a) requires that 'manual workers' — employees who spend 25%+ of their time on physical labor — be paid weekly, no later than 7 days after the end of the workweek. Until May 2025, late payment exposed employers to 100% liquidated damages. The May 9, 2025 amendment dramatically reduced first-violation damages to lost interest only (~16%/year). Repeat offenders still face the full penalty.
Manual Worker Frequency of Pay
Detects roles meeting the 'manual worker' definition (25%+ physical labor). Ensures weekly pay schedule for these roles. Tracks pay frequency compliance for audit defense.
What the rule does when a manual worker is on a non-weekly cycle.
The hero card configuration: Critical on schedule mismatch, Flag on role tag. Here's what each does at runtime.
If a worker is tagged as a manual worker but configured on a biweekly or semi-monthly cycle, Teambridge surfaces a Critical alert at payroll setup. Resolution: switch to weekly OR confirm the employer has a NYSDOL waiver.
Roles are tagged based on actual task composition. When a role's tasks include 25%+ physical labor (lifting, walking, manual operations), the role auto-tags as manual worker. Tag visible at config time.
Deploy NY weekly pay rules in your Teambridge.
Tell us about your workforce. We'll spin up manual worker tagging, weekly pay scheduling, and compliance tracking — in a sandbox tenant.
Weekly pay. Within 7 days. Big damage exposure for repeat offenders.
Section 191's 'manual worker' definition covers far more workers than the term suggests. NYSDOL has interpreted 25%+ physical labor broadly, capturing drivers, retail staff, food service, security guards, hair stylists, and many others.
'Manual worker' is broader than it sounds
NYSDOL defines a manual worker as an employee who spends 25%+ of their working time on physical labor. Courts have applied this broadly — drivers, hair stylists, security guards, retail employees, restaurant staff, warehouse workers, and many others have been found to be manual workers. Office workers and most desk-based roles are typically not manual.
Weekly pay deadline
Wages must be paid weekly, no later than 7 calendar days after the end of the workweek. A worker whose workweek ends Saturday must be paid by the following Saturday. Biweekly or semi-monthly pay schedules violate the statute for these workers — even if the worker prefers the longer cycle.
Teambridge tags manual workers, schedules weekly pay, and tracks the cure window.
The 25% physical-labor threshold is fuzzy in practice but specific in litigation. Teambridge tags roles based on actual task composition — defensible if challenged.
25% physical labor threshold.
When a role is configured, its task list is analyzed against physical-labor categories. If 25%+ of role time is physical labor, the role auto-tags as manual worker. Tag is visible and editable by HR.
Manual workers can't be on biweekly.
If a worker is tagged manual and configured on biweekly pay, Teambridge surfaces a Critical alert. Resolution requires switching to weekly OR confirming a NYSDOL waiver applies.
Audit-defensible record.
Each weekly pay run for manual workers is logged with date paid vs. workweek end. The 7-day window is verified per worker per period. Defensible against private lawsuits and DOL audits.
Document compliance posture.
If a NYSDOL notice arrives, the compliance log supports cure: per-worker pay history, per-period back wages owed (interest only for first violations under 2025 amendment), corrected wage payments. Documentation supports the 'no prior violation' defense.
Still evaluating? Get a free New York compliance audit.
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