234 5th Ave #501, New York, NY 100016
Employee Benefits Broker in NYC: Advisory Built for the City's Workforce
Strategic benefits guidance for New York City employers navigating one of the most complex regulatory environments in the country.
Finding the right employee benefits broker in NYC requires more than a Google search — it requires a partner that understands how New York's layered state and city regulations affect every decision you make about your workforce. Combs & Company has operated from its office at 234 5th Ave, Suite 501, in the Flatiron District since 2005, advising companies with 1 to 500 employees on benefits strategies that account for New York's unique compliance demands, competitive talent market, and cost pressures. With a 95% annual client retention rate and a team of PPACA Certified Advisors, Combs & Company serves as a long-term advisory partner — not a transactional vendor. For employers across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the outer boroughs, the firm delivers benefits solutions designed to meet both state mandates and the expectations of a workforce that has more options than almost anywhere else in the country.
New York State and City Benefits Compliance in 2026
New York City employers face a compliance environment that operates on two levels: state mandates from Albany and city-specific requirements enforced by agencies like the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Staying current with both layers is not optional — and the consequences of falling behind range from civil penalties to employee attrition.
Paid Family Leave adjustments
New York's Paid Family Leave program updated its rates for 2026. The maximum weekly benefit is now $1,228.53, an increase of $51.21 over 2025. Employee contributions rose to 0.432% of gross wages per pay period, with a maximum annual contribution of $411.91. Employers must ensure payroll systems reflect these changes and that employees understand how PFL interacts with other leave entitlements, including the state's disability insurance program.
Paid Prenatal Leave
New York became the first state in the nation to mandate paid prenatal leave, effective January 1, 2025. All private-sector employers — regardless of company size — must provide 20 hours of paid prenatal leave per 52-week period, separate from and in addition to existing sick leave entitlements. NYC employers face additional requirements under amended ESSTA rules, including maintaining a written prenatal leave policy, reporting prenatal leave balances on pay stubs, and posting an updated Notice of Employee Rights.
Expanded Earned Safe and Sick Time
On February 22, 2026, amendments to the NYC Earned Safe and Sick Time Act took effect. Employers must now provide at least 32 hours of immediately available unpaid safe and sick time upon hire. Qualifying reasons for leave expanded to include public disasters, school or childcare closures, workplace violence, and care for minor children or care recipients. These amendments also eliminated the city's Temporary Schedule Change Act by consolidating that coverage under ESSTA.
Minimum wage and salary thresholds
Effective January 1, 2026, the minimum wage in New York City rose to $17.00 per hour. The minimum salary threshold for executive and administrative overtime exemptions increased to $1,275.00 per week — annualized to $66,300. These thresholds directly affect how employers classify roles and structure compensation, with ripple effects across benefits eligibility.
Secure Choice Savings Program
New York's state-mandated retirement savings program is now active, requiring private employers with 10 or more employees who have been in business at least two years — and who do not already offer a qualified retirement plan — to either register or certify an exemption. Deadlines are staggered by employer size: employers with 30+ employees faced a March 18, 2026 deadline; those with 15–29 employees must comply by May 15, 2026; and those with 10–14 employees by July 15, 2026. Employees are auto-enrolled at a 3% contribution rate into a state-administered Roth IRA unless they opt out.
Ban on consumer credit history in employment decisions
Effective April 18, 2026, New York State employers are prohibited from requesting or using consumer credit history for hiring, compensation, or other employment decisions, with limited exceptions. This statewide ban expands on NYC's existing Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act, which has been in effect since 2015.
An employee benefits broker in NYC must track each of these requirements — and the interactions between them — to keep clients in compliance. A single missed deadline or outdated policy can trigger enforcement actions and erode employee trust.
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Benefits Services for New York City Employers
Combs & Company structures its employee benefits practice around the reality that NYC employers compete for talent against companies ranging from two-person startups in Brooklyn to Fortune 500 firms headquartered in Midtown. That range demands flexibility — not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Medical, dental, and vision benefits form the core of most packages, and carrier selection in New York requires navigating a market where premiums run significantly higher than the national average. The firm negotiates across multiple carriers to build plans that balance cost with coverage depth, factoring in the specific provider networks and hospital systems NYC employees expect access to.
Short-term and long-term disability coverage is layered on top of New York's statutory disability program, which provides partial wage replacement but often falls short for higher-earning employees common in the city's finance, tech, and professional services sectors. Group life insurance, voluntary benefits, and executive benefits round out packages that need to attract and retain talent in a market where the next offer is always a conversation away.
Compliance consulting — including ACA reporting, ERISA plan documentation, and audit support — is embedded in the advisory relationship rather than offered as a separate engagement. For NYC employers navigating prenatal leave policies, Secure Choice registration, and ESSTA amendments simultaneously, this integration matters.
What Sets Combs & Company Apart in the NYC Market
Combs & Company's differentiators are structural, not aspirational. Every member of the Combs Crew has worked in at least two industries outside of insurance before joining the firm. That cross-industry experience shapes how the team identifies risk exposures that single-industry brokers routinely overlook — particularly relevant in a city where businesses frequently span multiple sectors, regulatory frameworks, and operational models.
The firm maintains a 95% annual client retention rate across a client base that spans industries concentrated in the New York City metro area, including professional services, hospitality, media, tech, nonprofits, and food and beverage. That breadth means the team has encountered the compliance nuances and carrier negotiations specific to NYC's most active sectors.
Combs & Company's team includes PPACA Certified Advisors with specific expertise in ACA, ERISA, and the state and city-level mandates that make New York one of the most heavily regulated markets for employee benefits in the country. The firm serves companies with 1 to 500 employees — the segment where benefits decisions have the most direct impact on hiring, retention, and financial performance but where companies are least likely to have in-house expertise to manage them.
Founded in 2005 by Susan L. Combs, the firm has built its practice on long-term advisory relationships rather than transactional renewals. The client base reflects this: referrals and multi-year engagements drive growth, not cold outreach.
Who This Serves
The companies that benefit most from working with an employee benefits broker in NYC are typically growing firms in the
10–500 employee range — large enough to face real compliance obligations under programs like Secure Choice and ACA employer mandates, but without the internal HR infrastructure to manage those obligations alone. This includes founders and COOs at NYC-based tech and media companies scaling past their first wave of hires, CFOs at professional services firms managing benefits costs against the city's wage pressures, and HR directors at nonprofits and cultural organizations competing for talent without Fortune 500 budgets.
Start a Conversation with Combs & Company
If your company is navigating benefits decisions in New York City — whether that's a first-time build, a renewal you're not confident in, or a compliance question you need answered before a deadline hits — Combs & Company offers a no-obligation discovery call to assess where you stand. The firm's advisory team will review your current benefits structure, flag compliance gaps specific to New York, and outline what a tailored engagement looks like. Schedule a discovery call to get started.
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Employee Benefits
Comprehensive Employee Benefits for Your Team
Benefit solutions can be as diverse as your workforce. Combs & Company takes a holistic approach to build solutions that meet employee needs, your company's budget, all while meeting federal and state requirements. Offering innovative solutions from trusted providers can help your business attract and retain top talent. From one employee to 1,000, our team supports you to ensure benefits don't become a burden and fall short of expectations.
Medical Benefits
Comprehensive medical coverage from top-rated carriers, with plan designs that account for NYC's provider networks and premium environment.
Dental Benefits
Preventive, restorative, and orthodontic coverage options that meet employee expectations in a competitive hiring market.
Vision Benefits
Vision plans that include routine exams, eyewear allowances, and corrective care for focused productivity.
Short-Term Disability insurance
Income protection that supplements New York's statutory disability program during temporary illness or injury.
Long-Term Disability insurance
Extended income protection for employees facing prolonged health challenges beyond statutory coverage.
Group Life Insurance
Financial protection for employees and their families, structured as a core component of the benefits package.
Group Long-Term Care Insurance
Coverage for extended medical or personal assistance expenses, addressing a growing concern for NYC's aging workforce.
Voluntary Benefits
Accident, critical illness, and supplemental coverage that gives employees flexibility to customize their protection.
Executive Benefits
Customized benefit plans designed to attract, retain, and protect leadership talent in NYC's competitive executive market.
International Travel Insurance
Coverage for employees on global assignments or business travel, addressing medical emergencies and unforeseen risks abroad.
Employee benefits aren’t just perks — they’re a promise. A promise to value, protect, and invest in the people who drive your company’s success every day.
Combs & Company
Empowering Businesses Through Smarter Employee Benefits
Your employees are the foundation of your company’s success. Combs & Company believes investing in their well-being leads to higher retention, better productivity, and stronger company culture. Our customized employee benefits solutions are designed to fit your organization’s goals, budget, and workforce. From startup to mature entity, we’ll help you create a benefits package that attracts and retains top talent — while protecting your bottom line.
Your Questions, Answered
Frequently Asked Questions
How do NYC's prenatal leave and ESSTA requirements affect my company's benefits administration?
If you employ anyone in New York City, your benefits administration now includes multiple leave entitlements that must be tracked separately: 20 hours of paid prenatal leave under state law, 40 or 56 hours of paid safe and sick time under ESSTA (depending on employer size), and as of February 2026, an additional 32 hours of unpaid safe and sick time available immediately upon hire. Each entitlement has distinct policy, notice, and recordkeeping requirements — and NYC's rules layer additional obligations on top of the state mandates. An employee benefits broker in NYC should be helping you maintain compliant written policies, update notices, and ensure your payroll system tracks each leave bank independently.
Does my NYC business need to register for the Secure Choice Savings Program?
If your company has been operating for at least two years, employs 10 or more people in New York, and does not currently offer a qualified retirement plan such as a 401(k) or SIMPLE IRA, you are required to register with the New York Secure Choice Savings Program or certify your exemption. Deadlines in 2026 are staggered by employer size, with the final group — employers with 10–14 employees — facing a July 15, 2026 deadline. Your employee benefits broker in NYC can help you evaluate whether registering for the state program or adopting a private retirement plan is the better strategic move for your company's benefits package and talent competitiveness.
What makes employee benefits more complex for NYC employers than employers in other markets?
New York City employers operate under a dual regulatory framework — state mandates from Albany and city-specific rules enforced locally — that creates compliance obligations most other U.S. markets simply don't have. The city's Earned Safe and Sick Time Act, prenatal leave policy and posting requirements, and the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act all impose requirements beyond what state law mandates. Combined with New York's high premium environment, a minimum wage of $17.00 per hour affecting benefits eligibility classifications, and the competitive pressure of recruiting in a market with over 200,000 tech sector jobs alone, NYC employers need an employee benefits broker with specific experience in this market — not a national firm applying a generic playbook.
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234 5th Ave #501, New York, NY 10001
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Employee Benefits
Empower your workforce with tailored benefits that attract talent, enhance satisfaction, and improve retention — all while keeping your business compliant, competitive, and financially protected.
Commercial Insurance
Safeguard your business with customized commercial risk solutions that protect your assets, employees, and reputation against unforeseen events and evolving industry challenges.
Personal Insurance
Protect what matters most with personal insurance plans designed for your lifestyle — covering your home, health, car, and future with confidence and peace of mind.
Specialty Insurance
We specialize in unique and hard-to-place insurance needs, offering creative solutions for businesses and individuals that don’t fit standard coverage categories.
Consulting Services
Our experts offer strategic guidance, risk analysis, and compliance support to help you make informed insurance decisions aligned with your goals.
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Why Choose Combs & Company?
Combs & Company blends decades of experience, with continued industry innovations, and a personal touch to simplify the insurance process. Our expert teams tailor coverages to meet your business needs, ensuring you’re confident in any solution.
Certified Industry Experts
Our team includes PPACA Certified Advisors and licensed professionals with expertise in ACA, ERISA, and complex coverage solutions, providing trusted guidance.
Comprehensive Coverage Options
From personal and business insurance to specialty lines and consulting, we offer full-service solutions that grow with you and evolve to meet your changing needs.
Long-Term Relationships
At Combs & Company, clients aren’t just clients—they’re partners. We’re committed to building trust, loyalty, and long-term relationships that keep you secure for years to come.
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Our Client Reviews
If you're a food entrepreneur or in the restaurant biz, I highly recommend working with Susan and her team. Offers great customer service and she really knows her stuff! I had Susan come lecture at my food law class at New York University a few years ago and the students loved her! I refer clients to her without hesitation
Cari B.
