The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs recently changed its name to the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
In announcing the name change, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the DCWP will have a "new mandate to better protect consumers and workers." The Mayor said that, in its expanded role, the agency will enforce New York City's paid sick leave laws and intervene when a for-hire worker is mistreated or a freelancer's pay is delayed.
With its newly-expanded mission, the agency, led by Commissioner Lorelei Salas, said that it "looks to pioneer the way that city government can protect and enhance the lives of all of players in the marketplace, including consumers, business and workers, and how that work ultimately fosters stronger, more sustainable, and thriving communities."
The DCPW just launched a new public awareness campaign to educate New Yorkers about their workplace rights and to introduce DCWP as a worker resource.
The original Department of Consumer Affairs was created on in 1969 when the New York City Council passed the landmark Consumer Protection Law that gave the agency broad authority to protect the public from deceptive business practices, making it the first municipal agency of its kind in the country.
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