Section 184 - Recruitment of domestic or household employees who are residents of other states; findings and policyThe acute shortage of domestic or household employees in this state has led to extensive recruitment of such employees from other states in the continental United States. Social, economic and community problems occur in the process of recruiting and relocating unskilled employees from outside the state for such household employment. It is hereby declared to be the public policy of the state to encourage the recruitment of such employees from outside the state only under circumstances and conditions which will safeguard and protect the interests of such employees, their employers and the public at large. Incident to such recruiting are factors and considerations which do not exist in the recruitment of workers from within the state which impose certain responsibilities upon employment agencies engaged in such recruiting. Likewise, such employment agencies incur costs in the recruiting and placement of employees from without the state which are not entailed in recruiting residents of the state. Therefore, in order to provide sound and responsible practices and procedures for such recruitment and adequate regulation thereof, the following provisions of this section are deemed to be in the interest of the public safety and welfare.
1. No employment agency, directly or indirectly, shall accept applications from persons who reside in a state outside New York, procure or offer to procure employment of persons as domestic or household employees who are residing in states outside of this state previous to their application for employment, except as provided in this section and in the applicable provisions of other sections of this article. As used in this section, the term "state" applies to the forty-eight states on this continent, and the District of Columbia, but does not include the state of Alaska.2. An employment agency which engages in such recruitment, offer or procurement as described in subdivision one, directly or indirectly, shall furnish to the commissioner a written list containing the name and address of all emigrant agents from whom it accepts job applicants. If such emigrant agents are required to be licensed in the places in which they are recruiting employees, no employment agency, directly or indirectly, shall accept applicants from persons other than duly licensed emigrant agents.3. No employment agency shall, directly or indirectly, procure or offer to procure domestic or household employment for a person who is under the age of eighteen years and resides outside of the state.4. If an employment agency engages in the recruitment of domestic or household employees from outside of the state, it shall: (a) Enter into its register the following information, in addition to the register entries prescribed in section one hundred seventy-nine of this article: (1) the last home address and birth date of all applicants for such employment whom the employment agency is responsible for bringing into New York state; (2) the name and address of the emigrant agent, if any, through whom such applicant was obtained; (3) the name and address of all persons to whom the employment agency has made payments in connection with the recruitment of the applicant and amounts of such payments; (4) the total charges made by the agency to the applicant include, to be separately designated: (A) agency fee; (B) any charges for transportation, and (C) any other charges in connection with placement. (b) Respecting applicants from out of the state for whom the agency is responsible, directly or indirectly, for bringing into New York state, the agency shall have the following additional obligations: (1) direct that the transportation of such applicants shall be by duly licensed common carrier for passengers where transportation to New York is arranged for or authorized, directly or indirectly, by the employment agency; (2) provide solely at agency expense suitable lodging and meals for the applicant if he or she is not placed in employment the day he or she arrives at the office of the employment agency, from the time he or she reports at such agency until he or she is placed, or is returned to the place from which he or she was recruited, or is given the option of returning to such place as provided in part (3) hereof, and provide solely at the agency's expense meals and lodging for the applicant at any time the applicant is not employed during the thirty-day period following the day the applicant arrives at the office of the employment agency unless the applicant unreasonably refuses to accept comparable employment offered by the agency; (3) provide the return fare and reasonable allowance for one day's meals to the applicant or employee should the employment terminate within thirty days and such applicant or employee is without employment, or should no placement be made, and the employee desires to return to the place from which he was recruited. The bond pursuant to section one hundred seventy-seven of this article shall secure performance of the aforementioned undertaking and that required by provision (2) above and the provisions of section one hundred seventy-eight concerning actions on bonds shall be applicable thereto; (4) give an applicant before being brought to this state a written statement on a form approved by the commissioner showing the nature and duties of the job for which the applicant is recruited, the anticipated wages, the amount of the agency fee based on such wages, the amount for transportation that the applicant will have to repay if such amount has been advanced by the agency, and the amount of any other advances or charges. The statement also shall indicate when such amounts are payable to the agency. A copy of such statement shall be kept on file by the agency, and the copy shall have indicated on it when and by whom the original statement was given to the applicant; (5) communicate from New York state with the reference with which the agency is required to check, and no worker shall be induced, encouraged, invited or requested to come to New York state for employment unless communication shall have been made at least one day prior thereto; and (6) not require an applicant to pay the agency fee and any advances or charges at a rate greater than in four equal installments payable at the end of the first, second, third, and fourth weeks following the employment, notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions two and three of section one hundred eighty-five, or any other provision of this chapter. 5.[Multiple versions] Notwithstanding the maximum fee schedule provided for in section one hundred eighty-five of this article, the maximum fee to be charged a job applicant for placement in employment under this section shall not exceed, as a percentage of the first full month's salary or wages the following: where no meals or lodging are provided ............................ 15 % where one meal per work day is provided ........................... 18 % where two meals per work day are provided ......................... 21 % where three meals per work day and lodging are provided and where the first full month's salary or wages is: less than $130 .................................................... 26 % at least $130 but less than $150 .................................. 28 % at least $150 or more ............................................. 30 % 5.[Multiple versions] Subsequent placement. If employment terminates within thirty days, and the agency is responsible for the placement of the employee with another employer within such thirty-day period, the agency may charge the maximum fee provided by subdivision four of this section. If such subsequent placement is made after such thirty-day period, the fee provisions of section one hundred eighty-five shall apply.