Section 201. Definitions  


Latest version.
  • As used in this article:
        1.  "Board"  means the workmen's compensation board created under this
      chapter.
        2. "Chairman" means the chairman of the workmen's  compensation  board
      of the state of New York.
        3.  "State  fund" means the state insurance fund created under article
      six of this chapter.
        4. "Employer," except when otherwise expressly stated, means a person,
      partnership,  association,  corporation,  legal  representative   of   a
      deceased  employer, or the receiver or trustee of a person, partnership,
      association or corporation, who has persons in employment as defined  in
      subdivision  six  of  this  section,  but  does not include the state, a
      municipal  corporation,  local  governmental  agency,  other   political
      subdivisions or public authority.
        5.  "Employee" means a person engaged in the service of an employer in
      any employment defined in subdivision six  of  this  section,  except  a
      minor  child  of the employer, except a domestic or personal worker in a
      private home who is employed for less than forty hours per week  by  any
      one  employer,  and  except  a  duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed
      minister, priest or rabbi, a sexton,  a  christian  science  reader,  or
      member  of  a  religious order, or an executive officer of a corporation
      who at all times during the period involved owns all of the  issued  and
      outstanding  stock  of  the  corporation  and  holds  all of the offices
      pursuant to paragraph (e)  of  section  seven  hundred  fifteen  of  the
      business  corporation law or two executive officers of a corporation who
      at all times during the period involved between  them  own  all  of  the
      issued  and  outstanding  stock  of  such  corporation and hold all such
      offices provided, however, that each officer must own at least one share
      of stock, except as provided in  section  two  hundred  twelve  of  this
      article,   or   an  executive  officer  of  an  incorporated  religious,
      charitable  or  educational  institution,  or  persons  engaged   in   a
      professional  or  teaching capacity in or for a religious, charitable or
      educational institution, or volunteers in or for a religious, charitable
      or educational institution, or persons participating  in  and  receiving
      rehabilitative services in a sheltered workshop operated by a religious,
      charitable  or educational institution under a certificate issued by the
      United States department of labor, or recipients of charitable aid  from
      a  religious  or  charitable  institution who perform work in or for the
      institution which is incidental to or in return for the  aid  conferred,
      and  not  under  an  express  contract  of  hire.  The terms "religious,
      charitable   or   educational   institution"   mean    a    corporation,
      unincorporated   association,   community   chest,  fund  or  foundation
      organized  and  operated  exclusively  for  religious,   charitable   or
      educational  purposes, no part of the net earnings of which inure to the
      benefit of any private shareholder or individual.
        "Employee"  shall  also  mean,  for  purposes  of  this   chapter,   a
      professional  musician  or  a person otherwise engaged in the performing
      arts who performs services as such for a television or radio station  or
      network,  a film production, a theatre, hotel, restaurant, night club or
      similar establishment unless, by  written  contract,  such  musician  or
      person  is  stipulated  to be an employee of another employer covered by
      this chapter. "Engaged in the performing  arts"  shall  mean  performing
      service  in  connection  with  the  production  of or performance in any
      artistic  endeavor  which  requires  artistic  or  technical  skill   or
      expertise.
        "Employee"   shall   also  mean,  for  purposes  of  this  chapter,  a
      professional model, who:
        (a) performs modeling services for; or
    
        (b) consents in writing to the transfer of his or her exclusive  legal
      right  to  the  use  of his or her name, portrait, picture or image, for
      advertising purposes or for the purposes of trade, directly to a  retail
      store,   a  manufacturer,  an  advertising  agency,  a  photographer,  a
      publishing  company  or  any other such person or entity, which dictates
      such professional model's assignments,  hours  of  work  or  performance
      locations  and which compensates such professional model in return for a
      waiver of such professional model's  privacy  rights  enumerated  above,
      unless  such  services  are  performed  pursuant  to  a written contract
      wherein it is stated that such professional model  is  the  employee  of
      another  employer  covered  by  this  chapter.  For the purposes of this
      paragraph, the term "professional model" means  a  person  who,  in  the
      course  of his or her trade, occupation or profession, performs modeling
      services. For purposes of this paragraph, the term  "modeling  services"
      means the appearance by a professional model in photographic sessions or
      the  engagement  of  such  model  in  live,  filmed  or  taped  modeling
      performances for remuneration.
        6. "Employment."  A.  "Employment"  means  employment  in  any  trade,
      business  or  occupation  carried  on  by  an  employer, except that the
      following shall not be deemed employment under  this  article:  services
      performed  for  the  state,  a municipal corporation, local governmental
      agency, other political  subdivision  or  public  authority;  employment
      subject  to  the  federal  railroad  unemployment insurance act; service
      performed on or as an officer or member of the crew of a vessel  on  the
      navigable  water  of  the  United  States  or outside the United States;
      service as farm laborers; casual employment  and  the  first  forty-five
      days  of  extra  employment  of employees not regularly in employment as
      otherwise defined herein; service as golf caddies;  and  service  during
      all  or  any  part  of  the school year or regular vacation periods as a
      part-time worker of any person actually in regular attendance during the
      day time as a student in an elementary or  secondary  school.  The  term
      "employment"  shall  not  include the services of a licensed real estate
      broker or sales associate if it be proven that (a) substantially all  of
      the  remuneration  (whether  or  not  paid  in  cash)  for  the services
      performed by such broker or sales associate is directly related to sales
      or other output (including the performance of services) rather  than  to
      the  number of hours worked; (b) the services performed by the broker or
      sales associate are performed pursuant to a  written  contract  executed
      between  such  broker  or  sales  associate  and the person for whom the
      services are performed within the past twelve to fifteen months; and (c)
      the written contract provided  for  in  paragraph  (b)  herein  was  not
      executed under duress and contains the following provisions:
        (i)  that  the  broker or sales associate is engaged as an independent
      contractor associated with the person for whom  services  are  performed
      pursuant  to  article  twelve-A  of  the  real property law and shall be
      treated as such for all purposes, including but not limited  to  federal
      and  state  taxation,  withholding,  unemployment insurance and workers'
      compensation;
        (ii) that the broker or sales associate (1) shall be paid a commission
      on his or her gross sales, if any, without deduction  for  taxes,  which
      commission shall be directly related to sales or other output; (2) shall
      not  receive any remuneration related to the number of hours worked; and
      (3) shall not be treated as an employee with respect  to  such  services
      for federal and state tax purposes;
        (iii)  that  the  broker or sales associate shall be permitted to work
      any hours he or she chooses;
    
        (iv) that the broker or sales associate shall be permitted to work out
      of his or her own home or the office of the person for whom services are
      performed;
        (v)  that  the  broker  or  sales associate shall be free to engage in
      outside employment;
        (vi) that the person for whom the services are performed  may  provide
      office  facilities  and  supplies  for  the  use  of the broker or sales
      associate, but the broker or sales associate shall otherwise bear his or
      her own expenses, including but not limited to automobile,  travel,  and
      entertainment expenses;
        (vii)  that  the  person  for  whom the services are performed and the
      broker or sales associate shall comply with the requirements of  article
      twelve-A  of  the  real  property  law  and  the  regulations pertaining
      thereto, but such compliance  shall  not  affect  the  broker  or  sales
      associate's  status  as  an  independent  contractor  nor  should  it be
      construed as an indication that the broker  or  sales  associate  is  an
      employee  of  the  person  for  whom  the services are performed for any
      purpose whatsoever;
        (viii) that the contract and the association created  thereby  may  be
      terminated  by either party thereto at any time upon notice given to the
      other.
        "Employment" shall not include, for the purposes of this chapter,  the
      services  of  a  licensed insurance agent or broker if it be proven that
      (a) substantially all of the remuneration (whether or not paid in  cash)
      for  the  services performed by such agent or broker is directly related
      to sales or other output (including the performance of services)  rather
      than  to  the  number  of  hours  worked;  (b)  such agent is not a life
      insurance agent receiving a  training  allowance  subsidy  described  in
      paragraph  three  of subsection (e) of section four thousand two hundred
      twenty-eight of the insurance law; (c) the  services  performed  by  the
      agent  or  broker  are performed pursuant to a written contract executed
      between such agent or broker and the person for whom  the  services  are
      performed;  and  (d)  the written contract provided for in clause (c) of
      this paragraph was not executed under duress and contains the  following
      provisions:
        (i)  that  the agent or broker is engaged as an independent contractor
      associated with the person for whom services are performed  pursuant  to
      article twenty-one of the insurance law and shall be treated as such for
      all  purposes,  including but not limited to federal and state taxation,
      withholding (other than federal insurance contributions act (FICA) taxes
      required for  full  time  life  insurance  agents  pursuant  to  section
      3121(d)(3) of the federal internal revenue code), unemployment insurance
      and workers' compensation;
        (ii) that the agent or broker (1) shall be paid a commission on his or
      her gross sales, if any, without deduction for taxes (other than federal
      insurance  contributions  act  (FICA)  taxes required for full time life
      insurance agents pursuant to section 3121(d)(3) of the federal  internal
      revenue  code),  which  commission shall be directly related to sales or
      other output; (2) shall not receive  any  remuneration  related  to  the
      number of hours worked; and (3) shall not be treated as an employee with
      respect  to such services for federal and state tax purposes (other than
      federal insurance contributions act (FICA) taxes required for full  time
      life  insurance  agents  pursuant  to  section 3121(d)(3) of the federal
      internal revenue code);
        (iii) that the agent or broker shall be permitted to work any hours he
      or she chooses;
    
        (iv) that the agent or broker shall be permitted to work out of his or
      her own office or home or the office of the person for whom services are
      performed;
        (v)  that  the  person for whom the services are performed may provide
      office facilities, clerical support, and supplies for  the  use  of  the
      agent or broker, but the agent or broker shall otherwise bear his or her
      own  expenses,  including  but  not  limited  to automobile, travel, and
      entertainment expenses;
        (vi) that the person for whom the services are performed and the agent
      or broker shall comply with the requirements of  article  twenty-one  of
      the  insurance  law  and  the  regulations  pertaining thereto, but such
      compliance shall not  affect  the  agent's  or  broker's  status  as  an
      independent  contractor nor should it be construed as an indication that
      the agent or broker is an employee of the person for whom  the  services
      are performed for any purpose whatsoever;
        (vii)  that  the  contract  and the association created thereby may be
      terminated by either party thereto at any time with notice given to  the
      other.
        B.  The  term  "employment"  includes  an  employee's  entire  service
      performed within or both within and without this state if the service is
      localized in this state. Service is deemed localized within the state if
      it is performed entirely within the state or is  performed  both  within
      and without the state but that performed without the state is incidental
      to the employee's service within the state or is temporary or transitory
      in nature or consists of isolated transactions.
        C.  The  term  "employment"  includes  an  employee's  entire  service
      performed both  within  and  without  this  state  provided  it  is  not
      localized  in  any  state  but  some of the service is performed in this
      state, and
        (1) the employee's base of operations is in this state; or
        (2) if there is no base of operations in any state in which some  part
      of  the  service  is  performed,  the  place  from which such service is
      directed or controlled is in this state; or
        (3) if the base of operations or place  from  which  such  service  is
      directed  or  controlled  is  not in any state in which some part of the
      service is performed, the employee's residence is in this state.
        D. "Employment" shall not  include  the  services  of  a  media  sales
      representative  if  it  be  proven  that  (A)  substantially  all of the
      compensation  for  the  services   performed   by   such   media   sales
      representative is directly related to sales or other productivity rather
      than  to  the number of hours worked; (B) the media sales representative
      must be incorporated under the  laws  of  this  state  in  order  to  be
      considered an independent contractor and shall be solely responsible for
      the   payment  of  workers'  compensation  premiums;  (C)  the  services
      performed by the media sales representative are performed pursuant to  a
      written  contract  executed  between such media sales representative and
      the person for whom the services are  performed;  and  (D)  the  written
      contract  provided  for  in  subparagraph  (C) of this paragraph was not
      executed under duress and contains the following provisions:
        (i) that the media sales representative is engaged as  an  independent
      contractor  associated  with  the person for whom services are performed
      and shall be treated as such for all purposes, including but not limited
      to federal and state taxation, withholdings, and workers' compensation;
        (ii)  that  the  media  sales  representative  (1)  shall  be  paid  a
      commission  based  on a fixed fee rate outlined in the written contract,
      if any, without deduction for taxes, which commission shall be  directly
      related  to  sales  pursuant  to  price guidelines or other productivity
      within the sales area; (2) shall not receive any compensation related to
    
      the number of hours worked; and (3) shall not be treated as an  employee
      with respect to such services for federal and state tax purposes;
        (iii)  that  the media sales representative shall be permitted to work
      any hours he or she chooses subject to the restrictions in section three
      hundred ninety-nine-p of the general business law;
        (iv) that the media sales representative may work at  any  site  other
      than on the premises of the person for whom services are performed;
        (v)  that  the person for whom the services are performed shall not be
      responsible for any reimbursement expenses other than those outlined  in
      the written contract;
        (vi) that the person for whom the services are performed and the media
      sales  representative  shall  comply  with all articles of the labor law
      that apply to such work other than article eighteen of  the  labor  law,
      but  such  compliance  shall not affect the media sales representative's
      status as an independent contractor nor should it  be  construed  as  an
      indication  that  the  media  sales representative is an employee of the
      person for whom the services are performed for any purpose whatsoever;
        (vii) that the contract and the association  created  thereby  may  be
      terminated  by  the  media sales representative thereto at any time with
      two weeks  notice  given  to  the  person  for  whom  the  services  are
      performed.
        For the purposes of this paragraph, "media sales representative" shall
      include  any  contractor  engaged  in  the  sale  or renewal of magazine
      subscriptions or the sale or renewal of magazine advertising  space  who
      (i)  receives  no  direction  or  control  on  the methods by which they
      perform services other than training on  product  characteristics,  (ii)
      are  solely  in control of their work schedule, and (iii) may refuse any
      work assignment.
        7. "Termination of employment". Employment  with  a  covered  employer
      terminates  on  the  last  day on which an employee performs work in the
      service of such employer; provided, however, that employment  shall  not
      terminate  on  such  day if the employee by agreement with the employer,
      then commences, for a specified period, a leave of absence with  pay  or
      vacation  with  pay, at the conclusion of which the employee will return
      to work with the same employer. If notwithstanding  such  agreement  the
      employee  does  not  so  return,  his employment shall be deemed to have
      terminated on the last day of the period of such paid leave  of  absence
      or such paid vacation.
        8.  "Injury" and "sickness" mean accidental injury, disease, infection
      or illness or incapacitation as a result of being an organ  donor  in  a
      transplant operation.
        9.  A.  "Disability"  during  employment  means  the  inability  of an
      employee, as a result of injury or sickness not arising out  of  and  in
      the  course  of  an  employment,  to  perform  the regular duties of his
      employment or the duties of any other employment which his employer  may
      offer him at his regular wages and which his injury or sickness does not
      prevent  him from performing. "Disability" during unemployment means the
      inability of an employee, as a result of injury or sickness not  arising
      out  of and in the course of an employment, to perform the duties of any
      employment  for  which  he  is  reasonably  qualified  by  training  and
      experience.
        B.  "Disability"  also  includes disability caused by or in connection
      with a pregnancy.
        10. "Benefits" means the money allowances during disability payable to
      an employee who is eligible to receive such  benefits,  as  provided  in
      this article.
        11.  "Carrier"  shall  include:  the  state  fund, stock corporations,
      mutual corporations and reciprocal insurers which insure the payment  of
    
      benefits   provided   pursuant   to  this  article;  and  employers  and
      associations of employers or of employees  and  trustees  authorized  or
      permitted  to  pay  benefits  under  the provisions of this article. For
      purposes  of  this  chapter,  a  nonprofit  property/casualty  insurance
      company which is licensed pursuant to  subsection  (b)  of  section  six
      thousand seven hundred four of the insurance law shall be deemed a stock
      corporation and a nonprofit property/casualty insurance company which is
      licensed  as  a reciprocal insurer pursuant to subsection (c) of section
      six thousand seven hundred four of the insurance law shall be  deemed  a
      reciprocal insurer.
        12.  "Wages"  means  the money rate at which employment with a covered
      employer is recompensed under the contract of hiring  with  the  covered
      employer and shall include the reasonable value of board, rent, housing,
      lodging, or similar advantage received under the contract of hiring.
        13.  "Average weekly wage." For the purpose of computing the amount of
      disability benefits of an employee  during  any  period  of  disability,
      "average  weekly wage" shall be the amount determined by dividing either
      the total wages of such employee in the employment of his  last  covered
      employer for the eight weeks or portion thereof that the employee was in
      such  employment immediately preceding and including his last day worked
      prior to commencement of such disability, or the total wages of the last
      eight weeks or portion thereof immediately preceding and  excluding  the
      week  in  which the disability began, whichever is the higher amount, by
      the number of weeks or portion thereof of such employment. The  chairman
      may  by  regulation prescribe reasonable procedures to determine average
      weekly  wage,  including  procedures  in  lieu  of  the  foregoing   for
      determination  of  the  average  weekly  wage  of  a class or classes of
      employees,  and  may  authorize  reasonable  deviations  to   facilitate
      administration in the determination of average weekly wage of a class or
      classes of the employees of a covered employer.
        In  the  event  the  employee  was  not  in the employment of his last
      covered employer during all  of  such  eight  weeks  and  if  the  above
      determination  results  in  an average weekly wage which does not fairly
      represent the normal earnings of such employee in all  employments  with
      covered   employers   during   such   eight   weeks,   there  may  be  a
      redetermination of average weekly wage to reflect  wages  received  from
      all covered employers during such eight week period. The chairman may by
      regulation prescribe reasonable procedures for such redetermination.
        14.  "A  day  of  disability"  means any day on which the employee was
      prevented from performing work because of disability and  for  which  he
      has not received his regular remuneration.