Tri-State Workplace Safety &
Rights Contact List
(NY • NJ • CT)
Below is a tri-state resource list (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) with phone numbers and what each agency is generally used for when someone feels their work environment is unsafe, discriminatory, or they’ve experienced retaliation. This is tailored to be clear, practical, and shareable.
How to Decide Where to Report
New York State
If You Work in NYS, Here’s Who Helps
Below is a clean breakdown for New York State, split into:
🔹 For-Profit Employees
🔹 Nonprofit Employees
🔹 Public / Government Employees
🔹 Applies to ALL Employees (regardless of employer type)
Because in NYS, many protections overlap — but some agencies apply differently depending on employer structure.
FOR-PROFIT EMPLOYEES (Private Companies)
New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL)
Who they cover:
Private-sector employees (most for-profit companies)
What they handle:
-
Your paycheck is wrong or withheld.
-
Wage theft
-
Overtime violations
-
Minimum wage violations
-
Misclassification (1099 vs W-2)
-
Retaliation for wage complaints
When to contact:
-
You’re not paid correctly
-
You’re denied overtime
-
Your employer withholds pay
-
You’re fired after complaining about wages
Why this matters:
They enforce state labor law and can investigate, fine employers, and recover back pay.
New York State Division of Human Rights (NYSDHR)
Who they cover:
Private and nonprofit employers (generally 4+ employees)
What they handle:
-
Discrimination (race, gender, age, disability, etc.)
-
Sexual harassment
-
Hostile work environment
-
Retaliation
When to contact:
-
You’re treated differently due to a protected characteristic
-
You’re harassed and HR ignores it
-
You’re demoted or terminated after complaining
Why this matters:
They enforce the NY Human Rights Law, which is often broader than federal protections
NYS NONPROFIT EMPLOYEES
(Nonprofits = treated like private employers for labor law)
Important: Most nonprofits are treated like private employers under NY labor law.
That means
Wage issues → NYSDOL
Discrimination/harassment → NYSDHR
*** However, nonprofits receiving state funding may also face oversight beyond labor law. ***
New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL)
Who they cover:
Nonprofits
What they handle:
-
Wage issues
When to contact:
-
You’re not paid correctly
-
You’re denied overtime
-
Your employer withholds pay
-
You’re fired after complaining about wages
Why this matters:
They enforce state labor law and can investigate, fine employers, and recover back pay.
New York State Division of Human Rights (NYSDHR)
Who they cover:
Nonprofits
What they handle:
• Misuse of nonprofit funds
• Fraud
• Executive misconduct
• Board governance violations
When to contact:
-
You suspect financial or fiduciary misconduct.
New York State Attorney General
(Charities Bureau)
Who they cover:
Registered nonprofits
What they handle:
-
Fraud
-
Misuse of nonprofit funds
-
Governance violations
-
Fiduciary misconduct by leadership
When to contact:
-
Executive leadership is misusing grant money
-
Board members are engaging in financial misconduct
-
There’s clear breach of fiduciary duty
Why this matters:
Nonprofits answer to the public interest. The AG regulates charitable organizations.
PUBLIC / GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
(STATE OR MUNICIPAL)
Public employees often fall under different reporting structures.
New York State
Inspector General
Who they cover:
State agencies and public authorities
What they handle:
• Fraud
• Abuse of authority
• Retaliation for whistleblowing
• Public fund misuse
• Corruption
• Whistleblower complaints
When to contact:
-
You witness systemic misconduct in a state agency
-
Public funds are being misused
-
There is retaliation for whistleblowing
New York State Commission on Ethics and
Lobbying in Government
Who they cover:
State employees and officials
What they handle:
-
Ethics violations
-
Abuse of position
-
Conflicts of interest
-
Improper influence
When to contact:
-
A supervisor is using their government position improperly
-
You see procurement or grant abuse
-
There’s coercion tied to political power
Why this matters:
(Note: Now restructured as the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government — but people still recognize JCOPE name.)
APPLIES TO ALL EMPLOYEES
(FOR-PROFIT, NONPROFIT, PUBLIC)
Occupational Safety
and
Health Administration (OSHA)
Who they cover:
Most private-sector employees
(Some public employees depending on jurisdiction)
What they handle:
• Unsafe working conditions
• Failure to provide safety training
• Retaliation for safety complaints
When to contact:
-
Physical workplace hazards
-
Unsafe building conditions
-
Violence risk not addressed
-
You’re punished for reporting safety issues
Why this matters:
Workplace safety is federally protected.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Who they cover:
Employers with 15+ employees
What they handle:
• Federal discrimination claims
• ADA violations
• Workplace harassment
When to contact:
-
Related Governing Bodies:
-
Often filed alongside or instead of NYSDHR
QUICK GUIDE
“IF THIS → CALL THIS”
💰 IF YOU’RE NOT PAID CORRECTLY
NY → NYSDOL
NJ → NJ Dept. of Labor
CT → CT Dept. of Labor
🚨 IF YOU’RE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST
NY → NYSDHR or EEOC
NJ → NJ Division on Civil Rights
CT → CHRO
🦺 IF YOUR WORKPLACE IS UNSAFE
All three → OSHA
🦺 IF YOUR WORKPLACE IS UNSAFE
All three → OSHA
🏢 IF NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP IS MISUSING FUNDS
NY → NY Attorney General
NJ → NJ Attorney General
CT → CT Attorney General
🏛 IF YOU WORK IN GOVERNMENT AND SEE FRAUD
NY → NY Inspector General
NJ → NJ Attorney General Public Integrity
CT → CT Inspector General
🦺 IF YOUR WORKPLACE IS UNSAFE
All three → OSHA
Quick Comparison
Employer Type
Wage Issues
Discrimination
Fraud/Governance
For-Profit
NYSDOL
NYSDHR / EEOC
—
Nonprofit
NYSDOL
NYSDHR / EEOC
NYS Attorney General
Public
Agency HR + unions
NYSDHR / EEOC
Inspector General
Ethics/Abuse
—
Safety
OSHA
—
OSHA
Ethics Commission
OSHA (limited scope)
TRI-STATE COMPARISON
(NY / NJ / CT)
NEW YORK
-
Wage → NYSDOL
-
Discrimination → NYSDHR
-
Nonprofit fraud → NY Attorney General
-
Public employee fraud → NY Inspector General
-
Safety → OSHA
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
-
Handles wage
-
Overtime
-
Misclassification
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Department of Labor
-
Handles wage violations
-
Misclassification
Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities
-
Handles discrimination + harassment.
Connecticut Office of the Attorney General
-
Handles nonprofit governance
-
State misconduct
Connecticut Office of the State Inspector General
-
Handles public corruption
-
Abuse of authority
If you’re in the job market because your workplace feels:
• Unsafe
• Hostile
• Retaliatory
• Or quietly harmful
You’re not dramatic.
You’re responding to a real issue.