New York has amended its sick leave law (Labor Law § 196-b) to provide paid prenatal personal leave to all employees. Effective January 1, 2025, all employers shall be required to provide their employees with 20 hours of paid prenatal personal leave per 52-week period. Prenatal personal leave is leave taken by an employee “during

On September 30, 2020, section 196-b of the New York State Labor Law went into effect.  The legislation, which provides for the immediate accrual of employer-provided sick leave, permits sick leave to be taken beginning on January 1, 2021.  We wrote about the New York State Paid Sick Leave law previously, and have outlined the situations under which it must be provided to employees.  Like New York City’s paid sick leave entitlements, the law applies to absences related to an employee’s status as a victim of domestic violence, family offense, sexual offense, stalking, or human trafficking.  For a complete list of reasons and more detail about the accrual of sick leave, take a look at our prior blog.
Continue Reading New York State Paid Sick Leave Law Now in Effect

On April 3, 2020, Governor Cuomo signed the 2021 New York State budget, which included paid sick leave for employees in New York State.  Yes – paid sick leave that can be taken for normal, non-pandemic illnesses, among other reasons.

While society remains upended by COVID-19, Governor Cuomo stated, “we have to be able to walk and chew gum. We have to move forward at the same time and that’s why passing the budget and these pieces of legislation were important.”  State-wide sick leave – which surely would have received more attention but for immediate COVID-19 related concerns – requires New York employers to review their paid time off and sick leave policies.Continue Reading Permanent Paid Sick Leave Coming to New York State in 2021

The federal Department of Labor (DOL) continues to update its Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) FAQ leading up to the April 1, 2020 implementation. Over the past week, the DOL has supplemented the FFCRA FAQ several times to provide guidance and clarifications concerning lingering questions. Some of the recent clarifications we find helpful are below.
Continue Reading Department of Labor Continues to Update FAQ Concerning Families First Coronavirus Response Act

On Friday, March 20, Governor Lamont issued an executive order requiring non-essential workers to stay home.  All workplaces have been ordered to utilize telecommuting, where possible.  Executive Order 7H represents the most drastic step yet in Connecticut’s battle against COVID-19, and followed mere hours after Governor Cuomo announced similar measures in New York.  The

On the heels of the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act signed into law yesterday, New York State has enacted broad legislation extending paid sick leave benefits to employees.  The extent of paid sick leave is determined by employer size and revenue, and can be utilized by employees whether they are sick, or absent from work because of a “mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation” issued by “the state of New York, the department of health, local board of health, or any government entity duly authorized to issue such order due to COVID-19.”
Continue Reading New York State Passes Expanded Sick Leave in Battle Against COVID-19

As people everywhere struggle to adjust to the rapid changes caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, the financial impact on businesses and employees has been a primary concern.  Employees are facing reduced work hours and layoffs as businesses scale back or close. At the same time, employees are dealing with the reality of a serious health threat to themselves and family members.  The scale of disruption to the normal functioning of businesses and to people’s lives is unprecedented.
Continue Reading “Families First Coronavirus Relief Act” Expands Family and Medical Leave Act and Mandates Paid Sick Leave