N.Y. Lab. Law § 210-a

§ 210-a. Legal duty to employees. It shall be unlawful for any\nemployer to refuse to hire, employ or license, or to discharge from\nemployment, an employee in order to evade such employer's legal duty to\nprovide workers' compensation coverage for such employee. An employer in\nviolation of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.\n