We have put together a list of some of the labor laws of New York State for you.

• The current minimum wage for covered employees in the State of New York is $7.15 per hour. There is a list of exceptions to this covered minimum wage law.
• If a covered employee is required to work overtime, they must be paid one and a half times their normal hourly rate.

Here’s a list of tips you and your colleagues can use to help reduce the negative impact of open-plan office arrangements.

1. Be quiet. Try and keep the noise level to the minimum. Avoid using the speaker phone if it’s not necessary. Avoid using noisy gadgets. Befriend a set of headphones to listen to videos and podcasts. Find an enclosed space for short personal phone calls if you must make them.

2. Control your phones. The constant ringing of your cell phone while there’s also someone on your direct line can be distracting to your colleagues. Turn down the volume and try to answer the phone within three rings. Avoid fancy ringtones.

In the current economic climate it is important to optimize resources and facilities as effectively as possible, and many businesses consider switching to more cost-effective open-plan office space. Reduced cost, however, is not the only thing to consider.

The pros:

Open-plan offices offer ideal conditions for establishing friendships – assuming you like the people you share the space with.

Open-plan offices are more cost-effective, on average saving business up to 20 percent on accommodation cost. Choosing partitions wisely and working out the best possible desk layout allows companies to fit more people into the smaller space.

Buildings with open-plan office facilities are environmentally friendlier as heating and cooling becomes more efficient.

There are eleven Empire zones in New York City that are offered benefits and incentives to expand commercial, retail and industrial companies. These are The Bronx (Port Morris and Hunts Point), Manhattan (East Harlem and Chinatown), Staten Island (West Shore and North), Brooklyn (Southwest Brooklyn, East Brooklyn, North Brooklyn/ Brooklyn Navy Yard) and Queens (South Jamaica and Far Rockaway).

Created in 1996 to help revitalize the Upper Manhattan and South Bronx market place, the New York Empowerment zone is a federal economic development initiative. If your business qualifies and operates in the Empowerment Zone you could be eligible for increased depreciation tax deductions, employer wage credits and tax exempt bond financing.

With our busy working lives, we don’t always get the time to actually leave the office for lunch, so finding a lunch delivery service that offers healthy options and quality menus is important. Ordering pizza and other fast foods is not good for your diet or well being but taking the time to research alternatives can be time consuming, so we’ve done it for you!

There will be no excuses for drab and unhealthy lunches after you have read through our list, and with all the amazing options available in this multicultural melting pot of a city you are spoiled for choice.