Mission Statement
The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board protects the rights of employees and employers by ensuring the proper delivery of benefits and by promoting compliance with the law.
Locations
The Board maintains 9 district offices across New York, located in
The Board operates service centers throughout the state, thereby providing convenient access for customers and stakeholders.
Management/Staff
The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board administers workers’ compensation, disability benefits and Paid Family Leave. The Chair, Clarissa Rodriguez, is the administrative head of the agency, which employs approximately 1,100 people Statewide.
As Chair, she also presides over the Full Board which is charged with the review of various legal appeals. The Full Board is comprised of 12 Board members who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate for terms of seven years. Read the biographies of the Chair and Board members.
Security
In order to ensure a safe workplace and a hearing process free from any form of intimidation, the New York State Workers' Compensation Board (Board) prohibits both visitors and employees from carrying or bearing firearms or any other weapons on Board premises. This prohibition applies to all weapons as defined in the New York State Penal Law, and extends to all employees, parties, witnesses and visitors appearing on Board premises.
As a reminder, all visitors entering Board premises, along with their bags, briefcases, or other packages, are subject to search. Persons who do not submit to a search will not be permitted access and may be asked to leave the premises.
Any questions regarding this matter should be referred to the Office of Security at 518-402-0172.
History of the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board
New York has had a no-fault workers' compensation system for nearly a century. Before enactment of the Workers' Compensation Law, when a worker was injured, the only remedy was to sue in the courts. When that happened, the employer could always raise an objection that the worker had assumed the risk of employment, or the injury was caused by the worker's negligence or that of another worker.
Today, the workers' compensation system guarantees both medical care and weekly cash benefits to people who are injured on the job. Weekly cash benefits and medical care are paid by the employer's insurance carrier, as directed by the Workers' Compensation Board. Employers pay for this insurance, and may not require the employee to contribute to the cost of compensation.
New York can trace its workers' compensation system back almost a full century and to a tragic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. In that incident, 146 people died – mostly women, some as young as twelve. It was the greatest workplace disaster in New York until the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11. The fire galvanized labor and led to many reforms in safety, health, and labor laws. More to the point, it helped lead to the workers' compensation system both here in New York and across the country.
New York's Workers' Compensation law pre-dates Social Security and Prohibition. It is a law that needs to be revisited to keep up with the times. In 2007 the state of New York, in close partnership with labor and the business community, adopted a sweeping workers' compensation reform measure. Since then, benefits have increased while costs have decreased; injured workers are getting benefits faster; and fraud is being rooted out.
NYS Workers Compensation Board Centennial
Contact
Public Information Office (518) 408-0469