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Campaigns
NYC Free Tax Prep: Trusted, Professional Filing
The City's Tax Time Campaign alerts eligible New Yorkers about free tax filing options and refund-boosting tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and New York City Child Care Tax Credit (CCTC).
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Fair Workweek Campaign
The campaign aims to educate fast food and retail workers about their rights under NYC's Fair Workweek Law, which gives them the right to predictable work schedules and paychecks.
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Your Rights Delivered
From fair pay to safer routes, food delivery workers have new rights. The campaign aims to raise awareness about NYC’s Third-Party Food Delivery Service Laws, which regulate online third-party food delivery apps and give delivery workers first-of-their-kind new protections to promote better working conditions in the food delivery industry.
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Paid Safe and Sick Leave
NYC's recently expanded Paid Sick and Safe Leave law is a crucial workplace law that allows New Yorkers the right to sick and safe leave to care for themselves or their loved ones, including for COVID-related reasons, without fear of retaliation from their employer. DCWP is committed to empowering communities by ensuring they know their protections under the law, and that people know we are a resource for enforcement of those protections.
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Free Financial Counseling By Phone
Our NYC Financial Empowerment Center campaign alerts New Yorkers that they can receive free, confidential financial counseling over the phone.
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We Fight for Every Worker in NYC
Our workers' rights public awareness campaign aims to educate New Yorkers about their workplace rights and to introduce DCWP—formerly the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)—as NYC’s central resource for workers. Through broad and targeted advertising, we will reach both the workers who are covered by new City laws like Fair Workweek and Freelance Isn’t Free and workers who may not be aware of their rights like Paid Safe and Sick Leave or who are unsure of or wary of coming to a government agency. As the campaign tagline says—We fight for every worker in NYC.
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Be Real About Student Loans
In New York City, approximately 1 million adults have at least one student loan and collectively they owe $34.8 billion. This debt burden has a profound impact on the financial health of New Yorkers and disproportionately affects older borrowers, borrowers of color, and borrowers living in lower-income neighborhoods. The campaign informs New Yorkers about their rights and responsibilities when it comes to student loans, including payment options and resources to aid decision-making; warn about predatory practices by some schools and raise awareness about the NYC Financial Empowerment Centers where New Yorkers can get free financial counseling and referrals to legal services.
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Nearly one million people in New York City live with a disability, a group comprising 12 percent of the city’s population. New Yorkers with disabilities are twice as likely to be living in poverty as those without disabilities. The campaign aims to raise awareness of free financial counseling tailored to people with disabilities and their families. EmpoweredNYC counselors have more than 100 hours of specialized training to help people with disabilities to manage their budgets, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, tackle Social Security Administration (SSA) overpayments, and transition to work.
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NYC's recently expanded Paid Sick and Safe Leave law is a crucial workplace law that allows New Yorkers the right to sick and safe leave to care for themselves or their loved ones, without fear of retaliation from their employer. DCA is committed to empowering communities by ensuring they know their protections under the law, and that people know we are a resource for enforcement of those protections.
Learn more about the campaign.
NYC Financial Empowerment Centers have conducted nearly 100,000 counseling sessions since 2008, helping 50,000 New Yorkers improve their financial health and reduce their debt by $54.9 million and increase their savings by $4.4 million. Our campaign aims to help shift the stigma associated with money and debt so people will take the steps necessary to improve their financial health just as they care for their physical health.
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Predatory lending is a growing concern in New York City and nationally, one that is disproportionally affecting immigrant New Yorkers and those with low incomes. Our campaign ads provide a reality check about advertised promises, reminding consumers that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Ads direct consumers to come to DCA for consumer protection tips, complaint mediation, or free financial counseling.
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The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) and Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) launched a public awareness campaign to encourage New Yorkers to use their IDNYC to open an account at participating banks or credit unions.
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The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), the City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), and Community Affairs Unit (CAU) hosted their #OneNewYork Day of Action: Protecting Our Muslim Communities to remind fellow New Yorkers, especially those hailing from Muslim communities, that the City is committed to protecting the rights of all New Yorkers where they live, work and shop, and also offers a variety of services to those in need, regardless of immigration status or ethnicity.
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DCA Office of Labor Policy and Standards wants to remind employers and workers in NYC on the rate schedule for minimum wages.
Read 2016 press release on DCA visiting businesses to inform employers on the minimum wage increase
Learn more about the minimum wage.
NYC’s Commuter Benefits Law took effect on January 1, 2016. Under the law, covered employers must offer commuter benefits to eligible full-time employees. DCA enforces the law and coordinates the City’s public education and outreach campaign to help employers and employees know their responsibilities and rights.
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DCA and DOHMH are spearheading a comprehensive public awareness campaign to educate users and potential users about the harms of using K2 and dispel the many myths surrounding the marketing of K2 as legal and safe.
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DCA enforces the City law where certain businesses are prohibited from leaving store doors open while air conditioners or central cooling systems are running. We want to let store owners know that they can protect the environment and save money – simply by shutting the front door!
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DCA offers educational materials in multiple languages to consumers, salon owners, and salon employees about wage, labor, and health and safety issues.
Learn more about the nail salon industry.
On April 1, 2014, NYC's Paid Sick Leave Law went into effect and City launched a public education and outreach campaign to help employers understand their responsibilities and employees understand their rights under the new law.
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Tackle debt - Save for the future - Open a bank account - Improve credit
Campaign ads feature the success stories of real New Yorkers who got free one-on-one financial counseling at an NYC Financial Empowerment Center.
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Campaign ads feature real consumers who filed a complaint against a business and DCA was able to help resolve the issue.
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Campaign ads alert businesses about online resources to help them avoid violations.
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