NYC Workers Can't Be Fired Without 'Just Cause' If New Bill Passes

NEW YORK CITY — Willy-nilly firings of workers in New York City soon could be at an end.

Employers would be banned from terminating workers without "just cause" under a new City Council bill introduced this week.

The Secure Jobs Act, if passed, would set up protections against unfair and arbitrary firings, said Council Member Tiffany Cabán, who introduced the bill.

"Wrongful terminations devastate families," she tweeted. "They destabilize communities. That ends with this bill."

"The onus is on the employer to prove they have a good reason to fire an employee."

With the Secure Jobs Act, workers will be guaranteed advance notice, a good reason, and a fair process before a potential discharge. The onus is on the employer to prove they have a good reason to fire an employee. And workers who are wrongfully terminated can get reinstated. pic.twitter.com/x2IIABCEEf
— Council Member Tiffany Cabán (D22) (@CabanD22) December 7, 2022

The legislation dovetails with a law passed by former Council member and current city Comptroller Brad Lander that similarly protected fast food workers against arbitrary firings.

Lander tweeted his support of Cabán's bill with an account of how well the fast food measure worked

"The sky did not fall," he wrote. "Restaurants did not close. Chipotle, Starbucks, other workers are better protected."

But as some observers noted, Lander was recently accused of not walking the walk: two employees in the comptroller's office were unceremoniously fired without cause and with no notice, Daily News columnist Harry Siegel reported.

Cabán's measure would require employers to provide 14 days notice and a written explanation before terminating an employee. Employers also would have to provide proof of economic hardship before lay-offs.