234 5th Ave #501, New York, NY 100016
Employee Benefits Broker in Greenpoint
Strategic benefits guidance for Greenpoint employers navigating one of the most complex regulatory environments in the country.
Greenpoint has carved out a distinct identity among Brooklyn neighborhoods - a tight-knit community where Polish heritage runs deep along Manhattan Avenue, independent studios and design firms fill converted warehouse spaces near the waterfront, and a growing number of tech and creative businesses have set up shop within walking distance of the East River. Employers here compete in a labor market where workers have strong preferences and the ability to act on them. Connecting with a qualified employee benefits broker to serve Greenpoint means finding a firm that grasps both the granular requirements of New York's regulatory environment and the workforce pressures unique to this corner of Brooklyn. Combs & Company, operating from 234 5th Ave, Suite 501, has worked with businesses ranging from 1 to 500 employees since 2005, building benefits strategies shaped by New York's compliance demands and competitive hiring realities. With a 95% annual client retention rate and a team of PPACA Certified Advisors, the firm functions as a long-term advisory partner to Greenpoint employers - not a vendor that disappears after open enrollment. Whether you operate a specialty food business near Norman Avenue or a digital production studio closer to the Greenpoint waterfront, Combs & Company builds benefits programs around how your business actually operates.
Greenpoint Benefits Compliance in 2026
Greenpoint employers navigate a compliance structure with two distinct and equally demanding layers. State-level mandates flow from Albany and carry their own audit trails and penalty schedules. Locally, the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection enforces a separate set of city-specific obligations that apply on top of what the state requires. Both layers are active, and both carry real consequences for businesses that fall behind. For employers along Manhattan Avenue, in the industrial pockets near Newtown Creek, or in the loft offices around Kent Avenue, compliance is not something that can be scheduled for a slow quarter.
Paid Family Leave adjustments
New York's Paid Family Leave program has updated its benefit and contribution figures for 2026. The maximum weekly benefit now stands at $1,228.53, reflecting an increase of $51.21 over 2025 levels. Employees contribute 0.432% of gross wages each pay period, with annual contributions capped at $411.91. Greenpoint employers running payroll across a mix of industries - manufacturing, creative services, food production, retail - need to verify their systems are updated and that employees understand how PFL coordinates with New York's statutory disability insurance program.
Paid Prenatal Leave
New York made history as the first state to require paid prenatal leave, with the mandate taking effect January 1, 2025. All private-sector employers in the state, regardless of how many people they employ, must provide 20 hours of paid prenatal leave within any 52-week period. This leave is entirely separate from existing sick leave entitlements and does not draw from that bank. For Greenpoint's many small businesses and independent operators, the city layer adds further requirements under amended ESSTA rules: a written prenatal leave policy must be in place, prenatal leave balances must appear on employee pay stubs, and an updated Notice of Employee Rights must be posted and accessible to staff.
Expanded Earned Safe and Sick Time
Amendments to the NYC Earned Safe and Sick Time Act became effective February 22, 2026. Greenpoint employers are now required to make at least 32 hours of unpaid safe and sick time available to employees from their first day of work. The qualifying reasons for using that leave have been broadened to include public disasters, closures of schools or childcare facilities, incidents of workplace violence, and caregiving responsibilities for minor children or other care recipients. These amendments also folded the city's Temporary Schedule Change Act into ESSTA, consolidating those protections under a single framework.
Minimum wage and salary thresholds
As of January 1, 2026, the minimum wage throughout New York City - Greenpoint included - is $17.00 per hour. The minimum salary threshold for executive and administrative overtime exemptions is now $1,275.00 per week, which works out to $66,300 annually. For Greenpoint employers in food service, retail, design, and production, these figures directly affect how roles are classified and how benefits eligibility is structured across the workforce.
Secure Choice Savings Program
New York's state-mandated retirement savings program is in effect. Private employers with 10 or more workers who have been operating for at least two years and do not currently offer a qualified retirement plan are required to register or certify an exemption. Deadlines are tiered by employer size: businesses with 30 or more employees faced a March 18, 2026 deadline; those with 15 to 29 employees must act by May 15, 2026; and those with 10 to 14 employees have until July 15, 2026. Greenpoint's strong base of independently owned shops, studios, and food businesses puts many local employers squarely within these thresholds. Employees are automatically enrolled at a 3% contribution rate into a state-administered Roth IRA unless they elect to opt out.
Ban on consumer credit history in employment decisions
Beginning April 18, 2026, New York State employers are prohibited from requesting or using consumer credit history when making hiring, compensation, or other employment decisions, with limited exceptions. This statewide restriction builds on a city-level rule that has applied to NYC employers since 2015 under the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act. For Greenpoint businesses employing workers across varying roles and pay grades, identifying where the narrow exceptions apply and documenting that analysis is an important step before any affected decisions are made.
Every one of these requirements carries its own timeline, its own documentation standard, and its own enforcement mechanism - and they do not operate independently of each other. A prenatal leave balance missing from a pay stub, a Secure Choice registration that slipped past a deadline, or a sick time policy that was not updated after the February 2026 ESSTA amendments can each generate enforcement exposure. For Greenpoint employers managing businesses in one of Brooklyn's most dynamic and scrutinized neighborhoods, that kind of compliance overhead is best handled through a dedicated advisory relationship rather than a last-minute scramble.
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Benefits Services for Greenpoint Employers
No two Greenpoint businesses look the same. A third-generation Polish deli near Driggs Avenue operates under entirely different pressures than a video production studio near the waterfront or a tech startup in one of the neighborhood's converted industrial spaces. Combs & Company approaches employee benefits for Greenpoint employers with that diversity in mind, building packages from the ground up rather than pulling a prebuilt solution off the shelf. Medical, dental, and vision coverage anchor most employer packages, and negotiating New York's carrier market - where premiums run well above national averages - requires an advisor with active carrier relationships and working knowledge of the hospital systems and provider networks Greenpoint employees actually use. Disability coverage is structured to address the gaps that New York's statutory program leaves open, particularly for higher-earning professionals in Greenpoint's expanding creative and tech sectors. Group life insurance, voluntary benefits, and executive benefits are assembled into packages designed to hold onto workers in a borough where alternatives are always visible. Compliance consulting across ACA reporting, ERISA documentation, and audit readiness is part of the engagement from day one, not something unlocked only when an audit notice arrives. For Greenpoint employers managing prenatal leave policies, Secure Choice deadlines, and ESSTA changes simultaneously, that built-in advisory support is what keeps the whole structure sound.
Medical, dental, and vision coverage are the starting point for benefits packages across Greenpoint employers, and putting those packages together in New York requires navigating a carrier market where costs consistently outpace national benchmarks. Combs & Company works across a range of carriers to identify plans that bring premium costs and coverage depth into alignment - paying particular attention to the provider networks and hospital systems that matter most to Greenpoint's workforce.
New York's statutory disability program establishes a floor, but for Greenpoint employees in professional services, design, or media, that floor does not go far. Short-term and long-term disability coverage closes the gap. Group life insurance, voluntary benefits, and executive benefits round out a benefits package built for a neighborhood where employees have options and where retention depends on the full picture of what an employer is offering, not just the base salary.
Compliance consulting across ACA reporting, ERISA plan documentation, and audit readiness is woven into Combs & Company's advisory relationship with every client from the start. For Greenpoint employers handling overlapping obligations around prenatal leave policies, Secure Choice registration windows, and the updated ESSTA framework, having that compliance expertise already integrated into the relationship - rather than billed separately when something surfaces - is a practical advantage that pays off at renewal and when regulators come knocking.
What Sets Combs & Company Apart in the Greenpoint Market
What distinguishes Combs & Company is structural, not promotional. Every advisor on the team brings professional experience in at least two industries outside of insurance before joining the firm. That cross-industry background sharpens how the team reads risk - and in Greenpoint, where businesses often bridge food, manufacturing, creative services, and retail within a single block, that perspective matters. The firm carries a 95% annual client retention rate across a client base spanning New York City's most active industries, and that figure reflects consistent advisory work that holds up through renewal cycles, not just strong first impressions. Combs & Company's PPACA Certified Advisors bring deep technical expertise in ACA, ERISA, and the full range of state and city-level mandates governing employee benefits in New York. The firm works with businesses from 1 to 500 employees - the range where benefits strategy has the most direct effect on hiring and retention but where building an in-house benefits function is rarely practical. Susan L. Combs founded the firm in 2005, and its growth since then has been driven by referrals and long-term client relationships, not aggressive prospecting campaigns.
A 95% annual client retention rate across New York City's most demanding industries reflects a practice built on sustained advisory work rather than first-year energy that fades. Greenpoint clients in food production, independent retail, creative services, manufacturing, and professional services each bring different compliance profiles and workforce dynamics. The Combs team has worked across enough of those variations that the nuances of New York's regulatory framework are not something to learn on the job but a foundation the team already stands on.
Combs & Company's PPACA Certified Advisors carry deep expertise in ACA, ERISA, and the full range of state and city-level requirements that govern benefits for New York employers, including those managing workforces across Greenpoint's diverse industries. The firm's client range of 1 to 500 employees covers exactly the businesses where benefits decisions carry the most weight and where dedicated in-house expertise is rarely available or affordable.
Susan L. Combs founded the firm in 2005 around a model built on long-term advisory relationships rather than transactional sales cycles. Greenpoint employers who work with Combs & Company are not handed off to a service center after their first enrollment. Growth at the firm comes from referrals and multi-year client engagements, which reflects directly how the advisory relationship is structured from the beginning.
Who This Serves in Greenpoint
The companies that benefit most from working with an employee benefits broker in Greenpoint
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 Greenpoint-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 Greenpoint business is building a benefits program for the first time, reassessing whether your current plan still makes sense ahead of renewal, or working through a compliance question before a deadline closes in, Combs & Company offers a no-obligation discovery call to take stock of where things stand. The advisory team will review your existing benefits structure, identify compliance gaps specific to New York, and walk you through what a tailored engagement would look 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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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.
