Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and Council Member Shahana Hanif Celebrate the Start of Business Education Days in Brooklyn

July 23, 2025

NEW YORK, NY – Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga and Council Member Shahana Hanif celebrated DCWP’s annual series of Business Education Days with a walkthrough in Kensington, Brooklyn. Commissioner Mayuga, Council Member Hanif, and DCWP staff went door-to-door answering questions and informing small businesses about what they need to know to comply with the City’s business laws, which cover consumer and workplace protection, licensing, financial counseling, and more. Each year, DCWP conducts Business Education Day events across the five boroughs. In 2024, DCWP visited more than 540 businesses during Business Education Days.

“Understanding the laws that apply to your business is key to operating responsibly and avoiding violations,” said DCWP Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga. “Our business education helps ensure that our local small businesses are confident that they have the knowledge and resources necessary to follow our city’s laws. Thank you to Council Member Hanif for partnering with us, and we look forward to reaching more businesses throughout the coming months.” 

“Brooklyn is at its best when our beloved small businesses are thriving,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “We need to make sure they have all of the information they need to comply with the essential laws that keep workers and customers safe. It was a pleasure to collaborate with DCWP on this Business Education Day in my home neighborhood of Kensington. I particularly loved getting the word out about the Worker Bill of Rights, which was established pursuant to my bill, Local Law 161. It's critical that all workers know about the protections they have on the job.”

Throughout the event, local merchants and workers had an opportunity to meet with DCWP staff to learn about resources, including DCWP’s Workers’ Bill of Rights, which is an overview of important City, State, and federal laws that ensure you know your rights at work, like NYC’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law. They also had the opportunity to learn more about Financial Empowerment Centers, which offer free one-on-one professional financial counseling to support business owners and workers.

DCWP is committed to an education-first approach to helping businesses understand their obligations and responsibilities under the law. As part of this effort, DCWP offers all new brick-and-mortar retail businesses an opportunity to receive an educational, violation-free visit provided by a senior DCWP inspector through the Visiting Inspector Program (VIP). New brick-and-mortar retail businesses in NYC can schedule a VIP visit by calling 311 or by going to nyc.gov/BusinessToolbox.

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)—formerly the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)—protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses more than 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection, licensing, and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources and, by helping to resolve complaints, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. Through its community outreach and the work of its offices of Financial Empowerment and Labor Policy & Standards, DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to be educated consumers and to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City’s communities. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at nyc.gov/dcwp or on its social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Media Contacts:
Michael Lanza / Stephany Vasquez Sanchez
Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
(212) 436-0042
press@dcwp.nyc.gov